A Boy out of Time
by Alwayssg1
Summary: This story involves James Rogers from The Next Avengers. It's a time-travel story and it is Steve/Natasha all the way. More details inside.
1. Chapter 1

**I absolutely loved** _ **The Next**_ _ **Avengers**_ **movie. Truthfully, James Rogers is the reason I first became a Nat/Steve shipper. Age of Ultron was tough for me because it took away my chances of seeing James Rogers in the MCU. I guess you could say this is my fix-it. My story picks up immediately post Age of Ultron and pretty much ignores canon moving forward. I hope you enjoy it.**

 **I don't own the Avengers or The Next Avengers. They belong in Marvel's toy box, not mine.**

* * *

Steve sighed as his eyes landed on Natasha. She was heartbroken, and he had a very strong desire to pummel a certain angry, green scientist. This was the second time today he had found her staring at a wall.

He slowly walked over and gave a little cough to make his presence known. It wasn't that a super spy like Natasha needed it to know he was there, but he felt less like a stalker when he alerted her of his presence. She turned and looked his direction, but she remained silent.

"Wanda and Vision did pretty well today. I don't think it will take them long to get on the same level as Sam and Falcon," he said, trying to make conversation. "Bucky seemed almost like himself. That's a plus," he added.

Natasha nodded. "We'll get them in shape."

"We will," Steve agreed. "How about you? Do you need a little time away like the others? You could visit Barton or look for Bru-"

"No, like I said this morning, he doesn't want to be found," she paused. "I don't want a break. I feel like I had a long enough break to last a lifetime. After Shield fell, I was a little lost for awhile. I don't think I found myself until I came here. Trust me, Cap, I'm better off with a team. I'm reckless on my own."

"I'm certainly not going to try and convince you to go. I need you, I mean, I need your help if you feel up to it," Steve said, suddenly feeling a little flustered. Deciding he needed to change the subject, Steve sighed. "The others have went to their quarters for the night. You want to come to my place and have some coffee. We can debrief and come up with some plans to get our recruits in shape."

"I'm going to assume you meant to say vodka and a movie and say give me twenty minutes to shower and I'll be there."

Steve nodded. "I don't think I have any vodka, but a movie sounds good."

"Don't sweat it, Cap. I'll bring the alcohol. You pop us some popcorn. See you in a few."

Steve couldn't help watching her as she walked away. He knew he needed to stop stealing these little moments. Staring at a beautiful but completely unavailable woman's backside wasn't exactly helping him fit into the world any better.

As he walked back to his room, Steve wondered if things might have gone differently if he and Sam hadn't been gone so long. Natasha had been at the complex for nearly six months with Bruce and, occasionally, Tony before Steve and Sam made their way back to the states.

Steve had thought about those few kisses they'd shared in D.C. every single night even though he never had the chance to actually talk to Natasha while he was away. Sure, he'd occasionally get a random text from her asking about the search or whether or not he'd called the blonde, but they never really spoke. He had kind of hoped he would have the chance to make his move when he came back, but it didn't take him long to realize he had missed his chance. He wasn't too upset about it at the time. He figured Bruce was probably the better choice for Natasha. Bruce wasn't a man out of time, and, when he wasn't a big, green Hulk, he was a pretty good guy. At least that's what Steve had thought before the fool had disappeared and broken Natasha's heart.

The popcorn had just finished popping when Natasha knocked on the door. "It's open," he called out as he poured the popcorn into a big bowl.

Natasha's hair was still damp and she was wearing yoga pants and an oversized sweatshirt Steve assumed belonged to Bruce, and Steve had to quickly look down at the popcorn so he wouldn't notice her staring. She was the only dame, um, woman he knew who looked just as good in casual wear as she did all dressed up. He took a few breaths in and out. He really needed to get over this crush. She loved the other guy, even if the other guy was an idiot for leaving her alone.

"I've got vodka for me and a little something Thor left behind for you," Natasha said with a half-smile. "I try not to drink alone. It's not exactly a healthy habit. I also brought a movie you probably haven't seen. We might as well continue your education." She held up a movie.

Steve took the movie and read the title. " _When Harry met Sally,_ " he said with a grimace. "Doesn't sound as good as those Indiana Jones movies we watched in D.C. What's it about?"

"It's a sappy romantic comedy about a guy and a girl who try to be friends without romance getting in the way. For me, it'll be a good escape. For you, it'll be a good lesson in modern relationships. You've got to get out there eventually, Rogers."

"Let's not start that again, Romanoff. I don't have time for-"

"Actually, you finally have the time, and since my love life isn't going anywhere, I might as well work on yours. Put in the movie, Cap. I'll pour the drinks."

Steve did as he was told before joining Natasha on the couch. The movie wasn't half-bad, and Natasha seemed a lot more relaxed by the end of it. He wasn't sure if it was the little bit of vodka or the rough few weeks, but she was almost asleep on his shoulder. It felt good, maybe a little too good. Of course, that too good feeling might have had something to do with the mead, but Steve realized he probably needed to get Natasha out of his quarters before he did something stupid. She trusted him. He couldn't risk hitting on her while she was pining for Bruce, so he gently moved her head off his shoulder and stood up to retrieve her DVD.

"You look ready for bed and we've got an early morning tomorrow," he said as he handed her the movie.

"Yeah, I guess I better head to my quarters," she said with a yawn. "Thanks for tonight, Steve. I don't think I realized how much I needed a friend."

"Anytime, Nat. I'm not going anywhere," he said, adding a little more emphasis to the words than was probably necessary. "You're stuck with me."

"I think I'll manage to deal with that, Cap. We'll do this again soon."

Natasha left and Steve carried the empty popcorn bowl to the sink. It had been a good night. If all he could ever be to Natasha was a friend, he was determined to be a good one.

 **The Future**

Eleven year old James Rogers looked on in horror as the Hulk took blow after blow from Ultron. He didn't dare look back at where his friends, his brothers and sisters, had fallen. They were gone, and he was in pretty bad shape himself. This was a battle they were not going to win. They had failed-just like their parents.

As the Hulk took his last breath, James closed his eyes and hoped death would come for him quickly. He must have blacked out, because when he came to he was back at the dome. It was cold. There was snow falling through the holes in the dome's shield. James sat up in his bed and tried to piece together how he had gotten back home.

Vision came into the room. "I was monitoring your vitals. Your body is healing itself. It will take a few days for you to fully recover, but we must act now. Ultron will soon realize we got away and come looking for us."

"Act now?" the red-headed boy asked. "The others, Tony, the Hulk, they are all dead."

"I am aware of the gravity of the situation," Vision replied. "We must enact the contingency strategy."

"What's that? How can the two of us go up against Ultron and his entire army?"

"We can not. We would fail. That is not the plan. Tony had another idea, but he deemed it too risky, too much of a sacrifice, to attempt. Now, we have no choice."

"Sacrifice?"

"Not of your life, but, yes, a sacrifice. He designed a machine capable of transporting one of you to the past. It would be a one way trip. Before today, it would have been unfair to ask any of you to give up the others and travel to a time when none of you existed, and the machine would not work on an adult or an android. But, things have changed. You will go back to the days just after the Avengers believe they had destroyed Ultron. Gain their trust and convince them to finish the job before Ultron can build his army in secret."

"I'll see my parents again?"

"You will, but, James, your parents were not together in 2015. I knew them. Actually, I was quite new myself. They were friends, but I do not believe they would be very receptive to the idea that they had a child together."

James frowned. "What do I need to do?"

"I'll tell you the plan while I calibrate the time machine."

* * *

 **Obviously, for this story, the end of** _ **The Next Avengers**_ **went a little differently. I hope you'll stick around and see how it plays out. More to come soon.**


	2. Chapter 2

Tony was tinkering in his lab when the incessant beeping started. He ignored it at first so he could concentrate on his latest brilliant idea. This new endeavor was completely different from anything he had ever attempted. It had absolutely no military or Avengers implications whatsoever. There was no chance BARF would accidentally destroy a city or create an A.I. bent on annihilation. BARF would help him become a better man-a man Pepper might actually be able to look in the eye.

He missed her so much. He really should have expected her to be gone when he got home. She had been very clear how she felt about him going back to being Ironman but then they learned the location of Loki's scepter, and things kind of escalated from there. Pepper was gone. She called it "a break", but even when he had assured her he was leaving the avenging to Steve, Natasha, and the newbies, she still stayed away.

Tony knew she was upset about Ultron. Ultron was supposed to be his greatest creation. It was supposed to make it possible for him to actually keep his promise to Pepper and keep her safe at the same time. Boy, had that backfired .

The beeping just wouldn't quit, and Tony was actually having trouble focusing. "Friday, what is that annoying sound?"

"It appears one of your long distance trackers is beeping on a project in Antarctica," Friday replied.

"Antarctica? I don't have anything going in Antarctica. Are you sure it's not the cold fusion project in Nevada or the theoretical physics thing Banner and I had going in Detroit?"

"It is most definitely coming from Antarctica. I don't see anything in your database about this project, but it is your tracker, sir," the A.I. replied.

Tony sighed. "I guess I better check it out. Cancel all of my appointments for tomorrow, Friday."

"You have nothing on tomorrow's schedule, Mr. Stark. You haven't had any appointments on your schedule since you returned. I believe Ms. Potts is handling all of them personally. Shall I inform her of your travel plans, sir?"

"No, she probably isn't interested in my plans at the moment anyway. If she calls, patch her through to me. Otherwise, I'll be back as soon as I figure out what this alarm business is all about. I'm sure Bruce just had something going before he-" Tony paused to look for the right word, "before he left." Disappeared and presumed dead were the thoughts that came to mind, but Tony couldn't even bring himself to say those words to his A.I. assistant.

Tony wracked his brain for possible reasons one of his sensors was going off in Antarctica as he flew the quinjet towards the coordinates. He really couldn't think of any reason Bruce would have for using a frozen tundra for research. All of Bruce's efforts outside of their few projects together had been gamma related. Antarctica didn't make any sense.

Tony finally landed and suited up. He found the small pod pretty quickly. It didn't take him long to open it, and what he found inside shocked him to the core. There was a child inside. The boy was sleeping, probably drugged in Tony's opinion. He couldn't have been more than ten or twelve years old, and he had red hair and, unbelievably, he was wearing a uniform that reminded Tony of Cap's suit. Tony lifted the child out of the pod and quickly carried him back to the quinjet. Once inside, Tony placed the boy on a gurney and hooked him up to the monitor.

"Vitals are good," he said to no one in particular, "but how did this kid get all the way out here?"

Once he felt confident the boy wasn't in any significant medical danger, Tony loaded the pod into the quinjet and took off. He needed answers and he didn't think he was going to get them in this frozen wasteland.

A lot of things bothered Tony about this mystery boy. Who would leave a kid here? Why was his tracker on the pod? Why did this kid look like he had just been beat up? He was covered in bumps and bruises. And, the Captain America style suit was very puzzling. Tony set the quinjet on course for the Avengers Compound, figuring this one out was going to require the team.

 **Avengers Compound**

"Not so fast and loose with your punches, Falcon. Keep it controlled or Rhodey will get the upper hand," Natasha shouted. "Wanda, hold your force field a little longer. You have to concentrate."

Steve walked up with a cup of tea and handed it to Natasha. She sighed as she took a sip. "Thank you," she said with a small smile, "and I don't mean just for the tea. Thanks for last night."

"Anytime," Steve replied, "that's what friends are for, right? Or, did friendship change since the forties?"

Natasha laughed at his obvious joke. "Well, I'm probably not the world's best expert on friendship. I could count on one hand the number of real friends I've actually let in to my life, but you are a good friend."

"You know, you could start letting down a few of those walls and look around. These guys have more than just Avengers potential. There's some real friendship potential here as well."

Natasha smirked. "Not sure that's a good idea, Cap. I need to whip them into shape. It's like parenting right? I cant be their friend. I need to be able to bust their chops when they screw up."

"I wouldn't know much about parenting. Ma was the best, but she wasn't exactly around much. I'd like to think she saw me as her friend as much as she saw me as her son. Lord knows she must have needed a friend."

"Yeah, I don't remember much about my parents, but I think I remember them being protective. I remember my mother making me hold her hand when we went to the store. She never wanted me out of her sight. I think my father worked a lot, but I remember him kissing my forehead when he thought I was sleeping."

"Those are some good memories to have," Steve said softly.

"If they are even real," Natasha replied. "They could just be false implanted memories put there for some twisted Red Room purpose for all I know."

Steve frowned. "Can't see where they could gain much from those few memories. I bet they're real."

Natasha smiled. "I'd like to think so."

"You ever thought about having kids? I mean, with him."

"You can say his name, Rogers. I'm not going to break. And, no, Bruce and I wouldn't have had children. He wouldn't have wanted to risk the potential effects from the gamma rays, and," Natasha paused, not really certain why she was telling Steve something so personal, "I can't have children. The Red Room wanted the perfect assassin. They made sure there wouldn't be any complications like babies destroying their plans."

"I'm sorry, Nat."

"Don't be," Natasha replied. "I've made peace with it for the most part. I'm Aunt Nat to Clint's kids, and, if you'll ever get yourself out there, hopefully I can be Aunt Nat to yours."

Steve groaned. "I think it's about seventy years too late for me. I don't plan on having a family. Besides the possibility of passing on the serum to a child, I wouldn't feel right about bringing a child into my world. I'm an Avenger."

"So is Clint," Natasha pointed out. "If we find you a nice girl like Laura and buy you a farm-"

"No, not going to happen," Steve said adamantly.

"Peggy wouldn't begrudge you a family, Cap."

"Believe it or not, Romanoff, my reasons have nothing to do with Peggy. She had a good life, married a good man, raised a family, and started Shield. I'm glad she had it all. I just don't think it's the right thing for me. That's all."

Natasha stared at Steve a moment. She could tell he was telling the truth. It surprised her a little. One of the reasons she had worked so hard to fix him up was because she thought he would make a great dad. Honestly, it was one of the big reasons why she hadn't set out to get him for herself. She knew he used to watch her six for more reasons than just safety in the field. It would have been almost too easy to seduce him, but he was her friend. She wanted him to have the whole package, and a broken Russian assassin didn't fit the bill.

It had actually been a good thing that Steve and Sam had been gone for so long. Natasha had time to get over her little crush and realize Bruce shared some of the same demons as her. Too bad she had to blow it and force him into becoming the Hulk again, but running away when people were in danger wasn't going to wipe that red from her ledger.

"Is that a quinjet landing? Were we expecting anyone?" Natasha asked as she watched the remote controlled landing bay door open.

"No, we better check it out," Steve replied.

Tony already had the quinjet doors open when Natasha and Steve arrived. "What's going on, Tony?" Natasha asked as soon as she saw the sleeping boy.

"I honestly have no idea, but I just found this kid in Antarctica. We've got a real mystery on our hands."

Natasha listened intently as Tony told them the story. She looked down at the sleeping boy with interest. There was something oddly familiar about him, but she was certain she had never laid eyes on him in her life.

All of the Avengers that were present kept a vigil in the infirmary while the boy slept. Tony took a few blood samples and Natasha changed the bandage on his arm. "Whoever he is, he has been through something traumatic," she said softly, "but he seems to be healing quickly. That's kind of odd."

"Everything about this situation is odd," Tony replied. "I'm going to run some tests on this blood sample then I need to tear apart that pod looking for clues. Vision, Rhodey, you're with me."

"He's probably going to be hungry when he wakes up," Wanda said softly. "I'll start some soup."

"If you're making your kapustnica, I'll help," Sam said, following her out of the room.

"I'm pretty sweaty. I better get a shower," Bucky said before making his own exit and leaving Steve and Natasha alone with the boy.

"I wonder where he's from," Steve said softly.

"Well, not Antarctica, that's for sure. What do you make of his outfit? Think he's a Captain America fanboy?" Natasha replied.

"It does look a lot like mine. That's for sure. He's just a kid. We've got to find his family. They must be worried sick."

"Maybe," Natasha replied, but her thoughts were a little darker. "He has seen battle, Cap. I'm not sure he has a family to look for him."

As they continued to speak softly, the boy slowly opened his eyes. Natasha and Steve were by his side instantly. "Mom, Dad, is that really you?"


	3. Chapter 3

"Mom, Dad, is that really you?" James whispered as he slowly regained consciousness. As soon as the words left his mouth, he remembered what Vision had told him and instantly regretted his mistake.

"Sorry, sport, your parents aren't here. I'm Steve Rogers. This is Natasha Romanoff. You were found in a very confusing location, but if you can give us your parents' names and phone number, we will call them for you," his father replied in his all-business Captain America voice.

James didn't immediately respond. He looked his parents over for a moment. They looked so young. His father was looking at him with concern, but his mother had a very different look in her eyes. Tony would say she was sizing him up for threat potential. James desperately wished Tony, his Tony, was here now. He could tell him what to say. Vision had told him to gain their trust. Maybe the truth was the best way to go, especially with his mom looking at him suspiciously.

"We need to know who to contact. What's your name?" his mother asked.

"My name is James," James replied. "I need your help to stop Ultron from killing my parents, my friends, and enslaving the planet."

 **The Hangar Bay**

"This is interesting," Rhodey said as he handed an odd looking bracelet to Tony. "Any idea what it could be?"

Tony's eyes grew wide. "Impossible!" he exclaimed. "Hand me that!" Once the bracelet was in his hands, he pushed a button and a holographic, but very strong, shield formed. "I just came up with the specs for this a few weeks ago. This is my design, but it hasn't been built yet. I need to talk to that kid."

Tony immediately took off for the infirmary. "Friday, I need a status update on the kid."

"He is awake and speaking to Captain Rogers and Agent Romanoff," Friday's voice replied.

Tony entered the room just as Steve started speaking. "James, I don't understand. We defeated Ultron. You don't sound like you're from Sokovia."

"That's because he's not," Tony replied with conviction as he tossed the bracelet to James. "How did you get this?"

James put the weapon on his wrist. "You made it for me. You taught me to use it. I've been training with you for the last six years."

"Excuse me," Tony replied, "I'm afraid I'm going to need a little more information. Tell me the whole story."

"My name is James Clinton Rogers, and, if Vision set the machine correctly, you think you destroyed Ultron last week, but you didn't. I won't be born for another five years. Five years after that, Ultron will come out of hiding with his new army and the Avengers will fall. You survive and take the children of the Avengers, at least the ones you can find, and hide us under a shield in Antarctica. You taught us to fight, trained us to replace our parents, then I did something stupid. I accidentally triggered the Avengers androids you built to fight at our side too soon. Even with Vision and the Hulk helping, we lost. The Hulk lasted the longest, but when he saw them kill Betty, he just lost it and started making some big mistakes." James paused and looked Tony in the eye. "This was plan B. You designed the time machine, but it had some limitations. You didn't ever want to actually send any of us through time, but we were out of options. I didn't know about it until Vision told me. We were the only ones who survived. I know it's hard to believe, but it's the truth."

"He's not lying," Natasha replied. "You said Rogers? Steve is your father?"

James nodded. "Yes. There is a thumb drive in the tip of the pod. It explains everything. I'm sorry. I know the timing isn't good. Vision told me my parents were not even together yet."

Tony looked at his feet. This was on him. The world was still in danger. No wonder Pepper left. "Friday, tell Rhodey and Vision to crack that pod apart and bring me that thumb drive."

Tony watched as Steve patted the boy's hand. "You're my son?"

"I am, and I'm strong like you. I'm not as strong, but Tony says I will be when I grow up. I heal fast just like you," James paused. "You always called me sport. Mom called me her solntze."

"Sun," Natasha replied. "Solntze means sun in Russian. It's the equivalent to the English version of saying, 'you are my sunshine.' You're mother is Russian?"

Tony snapped out of his moment of self-deprecating for a minute. "Red, look at the kid. Pretty obvious who his mother is if you ask me."

"That's not possible. I can't be-" Natasha paused, "I need some air. I'll tell Wanda to bring in the soup."

When Natasha was gone, Tony looked at Steve then the boy. James was still staring at the door Natasha had just exited. "I was right, wasn't I?"

James nodded and Steve wrapped his right arm around the boy to help him sit up. "I think your mom is just in shock, James. I'm not going to lie, I'm pretty shocked myself, but Nat doesn't think she can have children. They did something to her when she was young that took the option away from her. You being here is a little confusing."

"It's her serum," James replied thoughtfully. "It keeps her from having a baby, but the Red Room didn't count on you or your serum. She wouldn't have been able to have a baby with anyone else. That's what Tony, um, my Tony told me. You should go to her, Dad. Talk to her. I need to talk to Tony alone."

"I really don't want to leave you just yet."

"I'll be here when you get back." Steve nodded and left the room then James looked Tony in the eyes. "You didn't want to do things this way. It was risky. Besides it being a one way trip, Vision said there was a big chance I would die before anyone found me."

"Yet, you're here," Tony replied.

"If I had stayed, I would have died anyway. I'm sure Vision didn't last long after he sent me back. We have to stop Ultron, Tony. I don't want to watch it all happen again."

"We will kid, we will."

 **The Training Room**

Natasha hit the bag with more force than usual, and she hit it repeatedly. This was some kind of cruel joke. She watched the boy talk. She was so sure he was telling the truth until that last little line. No one could know that her parents had called her their little solntze. She wasn't even completely sure the memory was a true one. Maybe this kid was an operative. That would explain his ability to fool her into believing the truth. And, Steve as the father? That would never happen. It was a cosmic joke! Sure, he had been attracted to her at first, but Steve was Captain America. Natasha knew it would never work out betwee Captain America and the Black Widow.

She didn't even know what to do with the idea of Bruce outliving all of them. Obviously, she hoped he was alive, but she couldn't be sure. And, it didn't take much thought to realize the Betty James was referring to was Bruce's true love. This day was really beginning to tick her off. She hit the bag again with even more force and it broke off and nearly hit Steve as he walked through the door.

"I thought destroying punching bags was my thing," he replied as he kicked the bag out of the way.

"The kid was probably sent here by my trainers. I thought I'd killed them all."

"I don't think so, Nat."

"You can't tell me you believe that load of bull-"

"Language," Steve replied, "and I think I do. Tony can have Friday run a DNA test, but I think he's telling the truth."

"Steve, you know I can't have children."

"I know you believe you can't have a baby, but James said it had something to do with my serum."

Natasha sat on a bench. "My serum acts as a powerul immune response. Sperm is attacked immediately making achieving conception impossible, but you have a much stronger version of the serum. If Bruce were here, we could have him look into it but I guess it is theoretically possible."

"Pretty sure we past theoretically when James showed up," Steve replied as he sat down beside her. "He's our son."

"That brings up more questions than answers," Natasha said softly. "If I believe this, I have to accept that not only do we have a child but we fail to protect him. Steve, you heard the boy. He said he's been training with Tony since he was five. I was five when the Red Room took me. Do you honestly expect me to just be okay with the fact that my son just lived my childhood?"

"His name is James. Say it, Natasha."

Natasha rolled her eyes. "What difference does it make what I call him?"

"It makes him real in your mind. James needs us, Nat."

"James, there I said it. Tony turned James into a weapon. That doesn't make me feel any better."

"I don't think Tony had much of a choice. It sounds like our friend did the best he could to protect our son, including teaching him how to protect himself. He didn't have your childhood, Nat. I think it's pretty obvious Tony took good care of James. James sent me to talk to you. He wanted to talk to Tony alone. As hard as it is to admit, I'm pretty sure our son feels more secure with Tony than he does around us."

"What are we going to do, Steve?"

"First, we are going to eliminate the threat once and for all then we'll figure out what we need to do about James. We'll take it one day at a time, okay?"

Natasha nodded. "I have a feeling this is going to get complicated. We failed him, Steve."

"We won't fail him again," Steve replied. "You ready to go see him? He needs you."


	4. Chapter 4

When Steve and Natasha arrived in the infirmary, James was sitting up eating his soup. Wanda was beside him, but her eyes were focused on the screen Tony and the others were watching. On it was the computer generated image of Vision from the thumb drive.

" _If this message arrives at the correct time and place, you will have just completed the battle for Sokovia," Vision began. "It is my sincere hope that James Rogers arrived safely._

" _Young James and I are all that remain of the Avengers. The children fought bravely to the end. They were worthy heroes cut down too soon, but you have the power to change the future. The coordinates to what will become Ultron's next base, the location he will use to build his army, are here. Act quickly and completely destroy all of the remains. Tony, Bruce, and I deduced that it would be best if Ultron's head were sent into space then destroyed by a missile. The blue prints for the missile are also on this drive. Good luck, Avengers. The future is in your hands._

" _James Rogers, we both knew this was a one way trip and a risky endeavor, yet you showed tremendous courage in your pursuit of the greater good. I am proud to have fought at your side. I must caution you not to reveal any details about the other children or their parents. We may have endangered your own future existence already. I hypothesize that you, James, will continue to exist even after the timeline has been changed. If I am correct, this is your second chance. I am sorry we had to take this risk, but life in Ultron City is not life at all. Farewell, James. It was an honor."_

As the screen went blank, Steve looked at his son. The sadness and remorse on James' face was that of a soldier who'd lost comrades in battle. His son was definitely not an average eleven year old. He had truly carried the weight of the world on his shoulders. Steve pushed Natasha, who was still staring blankly at the empty screen, toward where James and Wanda sat.

"I'll just put this bowl away, James. We'll give you some privacy, okay," Wanda said softly to the boy before motioning for the others to follow her out of the room.

"I'm sorry I left earlier," Natasha said as she took the seat Wanda had vacated. "This has been a bit of a shock."

"It's okay. I know you weren't really expecting your time traveling son from the future to show up at your base. I get it," James replied.

"But, it's not okay, James. I should have stayed and listened to your explanation. I promise to listen to you next time, okay? I know we haven't always been there for you. You shouldn't have had to lose us both. That won't happen again," Natasha said with conviction.

"Nat," Steve warned, "we can't make promises like that in our line of work." He took the seat on the opposite side of James before continuing. "But, we will do our best to make sure the future you came from doesn't repeat itself."

"Yes, we will," Natasha agreed, "then I'm done. You are my priority, James. As soon as Ultron is dealt with, you and I are leaving the compound. James, you deserve a normal life."

"Wait, Mom-"

"Nat, we should talk about this-"

Natasha put a hand up to silence them both. "I won't keep him away from you, Steve. You can visit anytime you want, but I will not risk someone else raising our son. You just told me a few hours ago that you didn't think it would be fair to bring a child into this world we live in. Obviously, you were right. We failed him, Steve. I should have retired the minute I knew he was coming, but I didn't and he grew up without either of us. It's better this way."

"But, Mom, I'm an Avenger. This is where I belong, and, if we leave, you and dad won't fall in love. You won't get married. I won't even be born."

"You heard Vision. You will still be here. You were already born. Trust me, James, this is for the best."

"Don't I get any say in this?" Steve asked.

"Of course, you get a say, but when you think it through, you'll see that I'm right. We can't fail him again, Steve."

"Quitting won't work, you know," James said softly. "It didn't work before. You just came out of retirement when Ultron attacked anyway. You can't sit back when the world is in danger. Dad can't and neither can I."

"Well, maybe it's time I learn. But, first things first, we need to neutralize the threat. I'm sure the others are in the conference room working on a plan. Do you feel strong enough to tag along?"

"I'm okay. It looks worse than it is," James replied.

Steve helped James to stand before giving Natasha a look he hoped connived that this matter was not settled. There was no way he was going to let Natasha and James leave his life. He now had proof she could eventually fall in love with him. He wasn't going to let her run. He was going to fight for his family.

A few hours of planning later and Steve was sure they would be successful. The only real fly in the ointment was the location. What remained of Ultron was in Sokovia, and the Sokovian government wasn't exactly thrilled with the Avengers at the moment. They could ask permission, but they'd have trouble explaining much without revealing the existence of their time traveling son and a future where Ultron ruled the world. This was going to have to be a stealth mission.

"Let's leave first thing in the morning," Steve finally declared. "Everyone get a good night's sleep. You're probably going to need it."

"Yeah, the sooner we have Ultron's parts in our custody, the better," Tony replied. "I'll get to work on the missile as soon as we get back."

"Can you take a look at my shield before we leave, Tony? It's been a little glitchy since my last fight," James said as he handed Tony his weapon.

"Sure, kid, I'll see what I can do."

"I think that can wait, Tony. James isn't going this time," Natasha replied.

"Mom, this is my fight."

"Actually, it's still our fight," Natasha replied. "It was only yours because we failed."

"Dad, I need to see this through."

"I'm sorry, James, but I'm with your mom on this one," Steve replied.

"Tony, you understand why I have to be there, don't you?"

"Sure, kid, I get it, but it's not really my call. They're your parents."

"Until yesterday, it was your call," James replied bitterly. "I shouldn't have come. I'd have been better off helping Vision free Ultron City."

Steve looked at Natasha. She sighed. "See what you can do about his shield. James is coming with us."

"I am?" James asked.

"You are, but you're staying on the quinjet and that's final," Natasha replied as the boy hugged her. "We're both staying on the jet. I meant what I said, James. You aren't going to be alone. I'll take care of you."

Tony shook his head. "I can't believe Widow is backing down from the action. Motherhood is already making you soft. I wonder what pregnant Widow will be like."

"James and I are leaving after this is over, Tony," Natasha replied. "I'm retiring."

"Wait, what? Who's going to train these knuckleheads if you and Cap go off the grid?"

"Cap is staying here," Natasha said firmly.

"Seriously? That will make having baby James kind of tricky."

Steve cleared his throat. "Natasha doesn't seem very concerned about baby James. I think she'd prefer to focus on the James we already have."

"Nope, sorry, bad idea. For all we know, this is some kind of a John Connor scenario," Tony replied.

"John Connor?" Steve asked.

"Terminator, geez, Red, I thought you were catching him up on the pop culture references. It's a movie. Anyway, John Connor was the leader of the resistance in the future. He sent Kyle Reese, a boy he raised in the future, back in time to protect his mother, Sarah Connor, from being murdered before he was born. The catch is, Kyle Reese was actually his father. In other words, it was kind of a time loop. Without John sending Kyle back in time to get jiggy with his mom, John wouldn't be in the future to send Kyle back. You get it?"

"Gross," James replied.

"Get jiggy? Seriously, Tony, are you twelve?" Natasha asked.

"I'm really not following, Tony," Steve replied.

"Okay, let's try this again. We know future me developed the time machine. We also know I didn't want to send James back in time, right? What if there was more to the story than what future Vision told us. What if this isn't the first time we've done this? What if James has actually traveled back in time hundreds of times and this is some kind of perpetual time loop? What if we just make minor changes each time hoping to get it right the next time? Huh?

"I need more time to look over that pod, but I know one thing for sure. The pod was designed specifically for your kid. No one else could have used it. There could be any number of reasons why future me felt it had to be James, but we can't rule the time loop out until we know Ultron is really gone. And, I'm pretty sure we won't be able to do that until the battle a decade from now either happens or doesn't happen. Ergo, you two have to have a baby James."

"You lost me at time loop," Steve admitted before looking at Natasha. She was quiet. He could tell she was thinking pretty hard. "Maybe we should table this until we get back."

"I agree," Natasha replied. "We need to figure out a place for James to sleep tonight."

"He can stay with me," Steve replied. "My couch makes into a bed. It's not ideal, but it'll do until we figure something out."

Natasha looked at James then back at Steve. "Fine, it'll do for now."

Steve took James to his quarters. They'd just managed to pull out the bed and dress it before there was a knock on the door. Steve opened it and found Natasha with an overnight bag.

"What are you staring at, Rogers? He's my son, too. You didn't think I was going to stay away on his first night with us, did you?"

"Um, I guess-" Steve stuttered, "Nat, I'm kind of out of beds."

"That's okay. I'm staying in your room. We need to talk. Besides," she lowered her voice, "it's pretty obvious we share a bed eventually."

Steve swallowed the lump in his throat. This was going to be awkward, but he didn't let her teasing stop him from taking her bag from her and placing it in his room. He needed to persuade her to stay permanently. Sending her away tonight would be sending the wrong message.

* * *

 **Major thanks to LonewolfO'neill for the John Connor reference. Natasha is in full defense mode. Don't worry. Her boys will just have to help her see there's more than one way to protect James. I still don't own Marvel.**


	5. Chapter 5

Once James was settled, Natasha followed Steve into the bedroom and closed the door behind them. Steve just looked at her with his deer in the headlights look.

"Shouldn't we leave the door cracked in case he needs us?" Steve asked

"He's eleven. If he needs us, he knows where we are," Natasha replied. "Besides, I thought you might need to talk. I know I do."

Steve nodded as he took off his shirt and climbed into bed. Natasha was impressed he hadn't opted to sleep in his uniform. She shimmied out of her pants and removed her bra without taking off her t-shirt. She didn't bother turning around, and she wasn't surprised when Steve kept his eyes on the ceiling to avoid seeing any skin. After climbing into bed and leaving a respectable distance between them, she rolled onto her side facing Steve. "I know you disagree with my plan to get James out of here, but this really isn't about keeping him from you. You're his father. He needs you just as much as he needs me, but the world needs Captain America more than it needs the Black Widow."

"I don't think so. Just hours ago, you said this is where you belong. You said you weren't going anywhere. We are a team, Nat, and now we are parents. You can't take him away."

"We can still be a team. Clint visits Laura and the kids every chance he gets. You can do the same."

"We aren't Clint and Laura," Steve replied tersely.

"I know. I'm not proposing, Steve. Don't panic. I just mean you can still visit James, and, in a few years, we'll need to have a baby just in case Tony is right. No strings attached though, you can still find some nice girl and settle down. She'll just have to understand the importance of-"

"Natasha, have you lost your mind?"

"What? You heard Tony. We need to think ahead and be rational about this. I'm not asking for a relationship, Steve. It's not like we need to be in love to complete the mission."

"No, you're asking me to let you waltz out of here with my son then make you another one that I will get no real say in raising. That's not happening."

"You'd rather risk Tony being right and the world being taken over by Ultron because we didn't play our part?"

"Tony's wrong. We will handle Ultron. I'm not having a baby with you unless we are in a committed relationship, preferably married."

Natasha sighed. "Fine, if that's the way you want it. Relationship it is, but no marriage."

"No."

"Excuse me?"

"No relationship if you leave with James, and no relationship just for the sake of making a baby."

"Steve, we're not in love. Don't make this so complicated."

"That's just it. You're in love with Banner, and now we know he's still alive. I won't play second choice."

"Yes, Bruce is alive, but you heard James. He is going to end up with Betty. She's the one he loves. And, if anyone would be playing the role of conciliation prize it would be me."

"What are you talking about?"

"Peggy," Natasha replied simply. "She's the reason you won't start dating again. You are still in love with her memory. With me, it would be easy. I don't need you to love me. I just need you to help me save the world," Natasha paused. "Trust me, Steve, you'll enjoy your little part in making baby James."

Steve's face turned red, and Natasha wasn't sure if it was embarrassment, anger, or both. "The answer is no, Romanoff. You want another child with me then you stay and if you fall for me then we'll discuss it when the time comes."

"If I fall for you? Seriously, Cap, you expect me to stay here instead of protecting James and fall for you when your heart belongs to a ghost? That's a little egotistical."

"You would never come in second to Peggy or anyone else if we were together. Don't leave. Let me be with you and James. Maybe you'll start to feel something, maybe you won't, but give it a chance."

"I don't know what to say, Steve."

"Say you'll stay."

"James deserves a normal life. I can't go rushing into battle at your side."

"Then don't. You can still help me train the team. We could get a little house nearby and raise James as friends. I won't pressure you into feeling something you don't, and you can't pressure me into having another baby. Fair enough?"

"I don't know what to say, Steve."

"Say yes. Say you'll stay with me."

"You'd be okay with that? Essentially, you'd be tied to the Black Widow? It could get complicated."

"You have no idea how okay with it I would be. I talked to Bruce before Ultron. I told him I'd waited too long and missed my chance with you. I wouldn't turn down another chance if it came my way."

Natasha looked into Steve's eyes. He was telling her the truth. She already knew about his conversation with Bruce, but she hadn't really realized he had actually been interested in her. This was complicated, and the stakes were high. "Okay, Rogers, you win. We'll get a house and raise James as friends, but I am not going back into battle with you. James needs at least one parent to live until he's grown."

"That's all I'm asking, Nat. Now, get some sleep. We have to be sharp tomorrow."

Natasha woke up spooned up against Steve. He was still asleep, but his hand was on her waist and he had a death grip. Getting up without waking him would be impossible. She thought back to their conversation and replayed it in her head. He had turned down an easy casual sex type of arrangement with her. No one had ever done that before and she had actually been a little miffed until he had basically made it clear he wanted something more from her. Of course, it was the something more that frightened her. Steve was very different from Bruce. Natasha could picture herself with him, because they both had issues. But, Steve was the poster boy for all that was good and wholesome. She wasn't sure she'd ever be ready for him.

Of course, it was pretty obvious something had clicked between them in James' timeline. What on earth had possessed her to get involved with Steve and have James in the first place. Were they really the happy couple James remembered or was it a façade they put up for their son? She really wished she knew the answer.

Natasha was still pondering the situation when she felt Steve stir beside her. He quickly moved his hand and rolled onto his back. "What time is it?"

"Just after 6," she replied. "We should wake up James and get this over with."

Steve nodded and Natasha sat up and pulled her pants on. They walked into the living room together, but James was gone. His pillow and blanket were missing, too. Natasha frowned. "Friday, where is James?"

"James Rogers is in the boss's quarters, Agent Romanoff. He has been there since shortly after you went to bed," Friday replied.

Natasha and Steve quickly made their way to Tony's quarters and knocked on the door. It was Tony who answered. "I was wondering when you were going to show up. The kid is in my guest room. He said you were fighting."

"We weren't fighting. We were discussing," Natasha clarified, "and we were discussing thing quietly."

"Super serum means super hearing, Red," Tony replied. "He was pretty upset. I know this has been a lot to take in, but you two have to get it together. This kid's been through hell."

"It's handled," Steve said before Natasha could come up with a retort. "Natasha and I are going to get a house nearby and raise James together. I'll keep leading the Avengers, and Natasha will work behind the scenes. James won't hear us fight again."

"Good, because I have no idea how to deal with an upset kid. Maybe future me looked after him, but current me is too much of a mess. I have my own daddy issues. I can't help James deal with his."

"Thanks for being there for him, Tony, and I don't just mean last night. You're a good friend. I know we don't always see eye to eye, but it means a lot to know you would keep him safe if we couldn't," Steve replied.

"Yeah, well, let's just try not to let it happen again, okay. The kid didn't give me names, but apparently I had my hands full with multiple super powered rugrats."

"You won't get any argument from me," Steve replied. "Can we talk to our son?"

"Knock yourselves out."

Natasha entered the room first and went straight to the bed where James was sleeping. "James, it's time to wake up," she said softly.

James opened his eyes. "Are you mad?"

"Not mad, but we were worried. You can't take off without telling us."

"Sorry. I'm not used to having anybody but Tony bossing me around and I've never been a sound sleeper. I just thought it would be better if I weren't around. I made you fight."

"We were disagreeing more so than fighting, but I'm sorry you heard us," Natasha began. "We did work out a plan though. Your dad and I are going to buy a house nearby. I'm not taking you away."

"Good," James replied. "I can't promise I'll be very good at living in a family. I'll probably make you mad a lot."

"We'll figure out this family stuff together, okay?" Steve said as he took a seat beside James. "None of us are going to get it right all of the time, but we'll figure it out."

"No more fighting?" James asked.

"No promises," Natasha admitted, "but we'll try and do a better job of keeping out of your ear shot when we do. Your dad is my best friend, James. We may not be together they way you remember, but we care about each other and we already care about you."

"Fair enough. Can we just go on our mission now? I'll feel better when I know Ultron isn't a threat."

"Me too," Steve and Natasha said in unison.


	6. Chapter 6

Tony sighed and leaned back against the wall of the room their captors had so graciously provided. The mission had been going so well. They'd picked up all of the various Ultron pieces, including the head. When Ultron's head had started ranting on and on about how their defeat was eminent and the planet would one day be purged of mankind's treachery, he had hit it with a blaster and Capsycle had hit it with his shield. That had shut it up in a hurry.

They'd almost made it back to the quinjet when Natasha told them they had incoming. Of course, it couldn't have been evil robots or crazy aliens. That would have been easy. They could have just shot those down and called it a day, but the Sokovian government was another matter all together. This wasn't exactly a sanctioned mission, so fighting their way out would have been terrible public relations.

They'd been stuck in these holding cells, well, not holding cells exactly since they were basically hotel rooms, for twenty-seven hours. Each of them had gone out for questioning at least twice apiece, except James. James only had to talk to the government officials once, and he had been smart enough to skip the part of the story where he came from the future.

Tony looked over at James. "How'd I get stuck with the kid?" he wondered as he tried to figure out what James was doing under the table. "Hey, kid, you're making me nervous? Can you just sit up and relax awhile?"

James grinned. "They didn't take my shield," he said softly. "It's glitchy again. I thought if I could fix it-"

"Let me stop you right there, kid. We are not busting out of here. We'll use diplomatic means only. My attorneys should be here soon. Just hang tight, okay?"

James sighed and sat up a little straighter. "Do you think we'll get to see the others soon?"

"Sure, kid. Your dad and Buchanan are next door. I hear their voices pretty often. I'm sure they put your mom and Maximoff together, and I'd bet Rhodey is with the Falcon and Vision. Everybody has a buddy, and they haven't tortured us or anything. This is all about politics. I built a maniacal robot who really messed up their country, so they are mad. The Avengers destroyed said robot and saved their people, so they can't exactly hang us by our toenails. Just sit tight and let the grownups work it out."

"I'm bored," James complained. "It was a lot easier back home. We trained and did our schoolwork then we used our abilities to beat each other at tag or hide and seek. This sitting and doing nothing is killing me, Tony."

Tony laughed a little. "It's no walk in the park for me either," he paused a moment. "So, kid, without divulging too much information about the future can you answer a few questions?"

"I can try."

"Does the name Pepper ring any bells?"

"We used to grow banana peppers, and once we had ghost peppers. I didn't like them much by Az-, um, one of the other boys really liked them. He made himself sick."

Tony sighed. "So, I never mentioned a person named Pepper. Were any of the kids mine?"

James seemed to think about that question for a minute. "I don't know if I should answer, but I will say we were all really lucky to have you. You told us stories every night. You took really good care of us. I'm sorry I activated the androids and messed everything up. It's my fault you died. It's my fault everyone died."

"Now, you sound like your dad. He blames himself for everything that goes wrong, too. This isn't on you, kid. You were just curious. Besides, because things went south, you're here. Now, we can fix this mess and save everyone. That's a good thing."

"Do you think they'll let us complete the mission and get rid of Ultron's head?"

"Yeah, once they finish making us miserable for not getting clearance, they'll see we are the only ones who can finish this. It'll be fine."

The door opened and a guard walked in with Pepper behind him. "Tony, what have you gotten yourself into now?" she asked, her arms crossed over her chest.

Tony immediately stood up and hugged her. After an awkward moment, she hugged him back. "You came! I didn't expect you to come! The attorneys?"

"Already negotiating. There are a few senators here, too. What were you thinking?" Pepper looked over his shoulder. "Who is this? Please tell me you didn't kidnap a kid and drag him into this mess?"

"I wasn't kidnapped!" James exclaimed.

Tony gave Pepper a sheepish look. "Pepper, this is James. James, meet Pepper."

"Oh, I get it," James replied softly. "Nice to meet you, ma'am."

"James was with us, but he stayed on the plane. We didn't drag the kid into battle or anything. It was a retrieval mission. Things just didn't exactly go as planned."

"That still doesn't explain who James is or why he's here," Pepper replied as she walked over to James and bent down beside him. "Are you okay?" she asked as she looked at the bruises that hadn't completely healed.

"I'm fine. It's nothing," James replied. Pepper just shot Tony a look.

"I can explain everything. James was a surprise-a really big surprise. I didn't meet him until after he got banged up. That was not my fault."

"A really big surprise?" Pepper repeated softly then looked at James again. "I'm actually surprised this didn't happen sooner. With your history, it was bound to happen eventually. He must favor his mother."

"You have no idea," Tony replied. "Spitting image."

"Um hmm," Pepper replied. "DNA test?"

"Done. Friday gave us the results on the plane."

"And, do you have legal documents allowing you to have him or-"

"We haven't exactly had time to take care of all that-"

"So, you did technically kidnap him. Tony, this is not exactly doing right by your son. You should-"

"Wait, what? No, he's not my son! He belongs to Steve. He's Capsycle and Red's kid."

"But, the numbers don't add up. He's got to be at least ten."

"I'm eleven," James replied.

"Tony? Again, I have to ask, what's going on?"

"I'll explain everything. Just not here, okay?"

Pepper nodded. "I'll let you know when this mess has been cleared up. Just sit tight and don't do anything stupid."

"Got it," Tony replied, "and Pepper, thanks for coming. It really means a lot."

Pepper nodded and gave Tony a sad smile before exiting the room. Tony just stared at the door after it had closed behind her.

"I get it. She's your girlfriend," James declared. "That's why you asked me about peppers. You were trying to figure out what happened to her."

"She was my girlfriend, but I kind of messed things up. She didn't like sharing me with Ironman."

"You're still in love with her."

"Yeah, kid, she's the one for me."

"Tony, do you think me coming back will mess things up for my parents?"

"I think you showing up will mess things up in the best possible way. I never would have pictured Cap and Red together, but it kind of makes sense. They'll figure that out, kid. It just might be weird for a little while."

"I hope so," James replied wistfully. "Seeing them together but not together is hard. I was actually thinking maybe I shouldn't stay with them."

"They're your parents, James. You belong with them. They aren't going to send you away."

"Oh, I know, but I was thinking maybe I should stay with you for a little while. Maybe they need some time to get used to the idea of each other before they have me around all the time."

"I doubt they'll go for that, kid. And, I know nothing about parenting."

"You figured it out pretty fast before. Will you at least talk to them about it?"

Tony sighed. "I'll think about it, but that's the best I can do. You should be with them. They've already missed a lot."

 **6 Hours Later**

Natasha made a beeline for James as soon as they were released. She hugged him tightly. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine. It was just boring," James replied.

Steve joined them and they walked behind the others. "Sorry about that, Sport. The good news is they are going to let us finish destroying Ultron, but Sokovia will never be on the vacation destination list."

James laughed and Natasha rolled her eyes. "I'm just ready to go home," she replied. "We can start looking for a house when we get back. You can have a normal life now, James. You did good."

"I didn't do anything. I was stuck on the plane with you."

"You brought us the information. You followed orders. You didn't tell the interrogators when you came from. You did good."

James smiled. "I didn't think of it like that."

"You kept a level head," Natasha added. "That counts for a lot. Winning isn't just about throwing your shield at the bad guys. It's about remembering your objective and adjusting your game plan when the original plan fails. You were trained really well. I'm not trying to keep you from your destiny, James. I just want you to have a little normalcy in your life, and avenging isn't normal. You get that, right?"

"I think so. You want me to just be a kid. I'll try, but I can't make any promises. If someone is in trouble or being bullied, I can't just stand there."

"Oh my solntze, you are so much like your father," Natasha replied with a smile. "Just leave the dangerous stuff to him for now, okay?"

James stopped walking and threw his arms around his mother. He had tears in his eyes. "You called my your solntze. I've missed you, Mom. I missed you both."

Steve put his arms around both of them and held them a moment before looking into Natasha's eyes. "We should catch up with the others." Natasha nodded and they started walking again. It was time to figure out how to navigate their new lives.


	7. Chapter 7

The first thing Steve noticed when he, Natasha, and James got on the quinjet was the addition of Pepper Potts. He knew Tony and Pepper were having problems, so he had kind of assumed she would travel with the attorneys. Tony didn't look too comfortable, so Steve assumed his friend was even further in the doghouse after their little incident.

"I thought it would be best if I told you the details of the agreement with the Sokovian government before we got back to the states," Pepper began. "They requested a government agent watch over the disposal of Ultron's remains. Of course, they wanted one of their own, but Senator Kent managed to convince them to let the U.S. handle this one. They'll have an agent at the compound by the time we land."

"That's ridiculous," Tony complained. "We can handle this ourselves."

"It's non-negotiable, Tony. Just play nice," Pepper replied.

Before Tony could get himself into any more hot water, Steve decided to intervene. "We'll make him feel at home, Ms. Potts. We're all on the same side. We just want the threat neutralized once and for all."

"Good," Pepper replied. "I'll be sticking around as well, so I'll try to help you handle the diplomacy." She looked at James then back at the others. "I think I was promised the full story on how this young man came to be and why he was brought on an unsanctioned mission."

"Now, that's a long story," Tony replied. "Cap, Red, one of you want to take this one?"

Steve and Natasha took turns filling Pepper in on James with Tony and the others interjecting from time to time. By the time they were finished, Pepper was just shaking her head. "And, I thought aliens in New York was crazy," she replied. "We need to get some legal work taken care of on James, but this story isn't exactly shareable. Any ideas?"

"I've been thinking about it, and I have one that could work," Natasha began. "James is eleven. Steve was still missing and I was still with my old handlers. It would be plausible to the government that Russia managed to get a hold of Captain America's DNA and impregnated one of their own. We could say I've been looking for him since I defected, and Steve helped me find him."

"Won't they deny it? I mean, it obviously didn't happen," Pepper replied.

"They'd deny it even if it did," Natasha said coldly, "but there is no one left alive who can honestly be sure it's a lie. I handled that personally."

"Okay then we'll put the attorneys to work," Pepper replied, but Steve didn't miss the way her eyes grew wider at Natasha's admission. He also noticed Natasha's body language was suddenly guarded. It was always hard to watch her close herself off.

"I think it's a good plan. We'll want joint custody please, Pepper," Steve said as he touched Natasha's shoulder. "No one needs to know the whole truth except for those of us on this plane."

The rest of the flight was uneventful. Steve noticed Natasha had gotten pretty quiet, so once the others were busy entertaining themselves, he decided to get her thoughts on something more pleasant. "Do you think you could pull up some houses on line? We might as well start looking now."

"Umm, okay, sure," Natasha responded as she pulled out a laptop. Soon, they were looking at local real estate. "This looks promising. It's only ten minutes from the compound. School district is top notch. It has three bedrooms, two baths, a big kitchen, double fireplace, and a nice size fenced in yard so James can have a dog."

"A dog?" Steve grinned. "You want a dog?"

"Well, I've never had one, but it seems like a nice normal thing to do, doesn't it?"

"Yeah, it does."

"We don't have to get a dog. I was just thinking out loud," Natasha replied.

"No, I like the idea. It'll be good for James," Steve replied. He could have easily added that it would be good for her to have the normalcy, too, but he wisely kept that to himself.

"One of the bedrooms is already a nice shade of blue," Natasha added. "Do we need to look for something with four bedrooms? I mean, I know you just got Bucky back, so if you want him to stay with us-"

"No, three is fine. I think I'd rather it be just the three of us if that's okay. Like you said, we want James to have a normal childhood for a change. There's not anything more normal for a kid than living with his mom, dad, and a dog, right?"

Natasha smiled at him then clicked on the next picture and frowned. "Maybe we should keep looking. The third bedroom is on the small side. James needs his space, and we each need our own rooms."

"Let me see," Steve replied. She pushed the screen his direction. "It's not that bad. I'll take the smaller room. I just need a bed and a chest anyway. James's room is a good size, and the master has a big closet and a private bathroom so you'll have a place to unwind."

"You need to have your space. It's your home, too. We can keep looking."

"Nat, you know you love this house. I'll be fine. Besides, I grew up in Brooklyn during the depression. That room is huge by my standards, and there aren't a lot of houses for sale in the area. What is most important for me is the short commute. It's perfect. We'll make an appointment to look at it when we get home, okay?"

Natasha smiled at him, and Steve almost melted because it was the smile he rarely saw from her. It wasn't her teasing smile or her guarded smile. It was the smile Steve had decided was her truly happy smile. He'd seen it the first time when they were at Clint's. She didn't know he was watching her playing tea party with Lila. She was so relaxed with the little girl even as things were going crazy with Ultron. Steve knew she wasn't really sacrificing to give up avenging for motherhood. As much as he was going to miss her in the field, he knew she deserved the chance to enjoy James and a semi-normal life. And, if he was really lucky, maybe someday she'd want him around for more than just their son's sake.

Upon arriving at the compound, they were greeted by a familiar face. Steve smiled when he saw his former neighbor. "I'm guessing you're the one they sent to keep tabs on us."

Sharon returned his smile. "It's not every day I get pulled off a case to handle a diplomatic incident caused by Captain America," she paused. "Senator Kent requested me personally. He was always a friend to Fury and an ally of Shield's. He figured you guys might appreciate a familiar face."

"It definitely helps," Steve replied as James came to stand beside him. "This is my son James. James, Agent Carter."

"Nice to meet you, Agent Carter," James responded politely.

"Nice to meet you, too, James. Call me Sharon. I was your dad's neighbor in D.C."

Steve laughed. "More like my Fury assigned protection detail, but I am glad you're here. We weren't sure who they'd send, and the last few days have been a little unnerving."

Natasha joined them. "Hello, Agent Carter. I guess we don't have to ask why you're here." She handed James his backpack. "You left this on the plane, James."

"Thanks, Mom," James replied as he put the pack on his back.

"Mom?" Sharon asked. "This is going to be a very interesting debriefing."

Steve smiled again. "You have no idea."

"Speaking of debriefings, we should probably get this one over with so Tony and Vision can get to work. James, why don't you take your bag and put it away. We'll be up when we are finished." James nodded and left the three adults alone. "The others are already in the conference room."

"One question before we join them," Sharon said raising an eyebrow. "How is James even possible? You were frozen until just a few years ago."

"The Red Room acquired a sample of Steve's DNA. They impregnated me with it as part of my graduation ceremony. I carried James to term then they took him from me. After I joined Shield, I started searching for my son. Once Steve found out, he helped me look. We've finally have him with us."

"Wow," Sharon replied. "That's a very well-thought-out story. Most people will probably believe it. Good job." She lowered her voice. "I read your file, Agent Romanoff."

"Not everything was in the file, Agent Carter," Natasha replied.

Sharon nodded. "I'm not going to push. Like I said, it's a good cover. Maybe one day you'll tell me the real story."

Natasha didn't answer, and Steve could sense the tension, so he cleared his throat. "We should probably join the others now. It was a long flight."

Thankfully, both women nodded and Steve followed them to the conference room. He was sure Natasha was just aggravated that Sharon had read her file. He certainly couldn't imagine any other reason why she'd be upset. Personally, Steve was just glad their government oversight was coming in the form of a friendly face.


	8. Chapter 8

The next few weeks were pretty hectic at the compound. Between finishing off Ultron for good, getting to know their son, and purchasing the house, Steve and Natasha were together even more than usual, but Steve still missed Natasha. It was strange to be around her so much but never alone with her. Steve wondered if this feeling was similar to what all new parents faced.

After they'd returned from Sokovia, Natasha had suggested they each take James every other night until they could close on the house. She'd told Steve it would give each of them time to bond with their son, but Steve knew she was trying to avoid the awkwardness of having to share a room with him.

Steve honestly couldn't wait to get moved into their house. He was really looking forward to having his family to himself, and, whether Natasha ever fell in love with him or not, Steve definitely considered her his family. He'd already been half in love with her when James arrived. Knowing that in James's future she was his wife just made his feelings stronger.

Pepper and Sharon were still staying at the compound. Pepper seemed to be thawing towards Tony. Steve figured the realization that they hadn't found their way back to each other in James's future probably had a lot to do with it. He was happy for his friend.

Sharon was sticking around at the request of the U.S. government. Apparently, the Avengers needed some supervision in the opinions of several powerful people in D.C. As much as it irked Steve, he was grateful they were leaving Sharon and not bringing in some government stiff.

Steve actually ended up spending quite a bit of time with Sharon. They debriefed over coffee most mornings, and Sharon had finally told Steve she was Peggy's niece. Steve enjoyed hearing stories about his first love's life. It made him happy to know just how well things had worked out for her.

Natasha didn't seem very happy about having Sharon around, but Steve assumed she probably didn't trust her because the government currently didn't have much trust in the Avengers. He figured Natasha would warm up to the idea eventually, and he didn't mind handling the debriefings with Sharon in the meantime.

Steve was actually just heading to his morning meeting with Sharon when he ran into Natasha in the hallway. "There you are," Natasha said with a slight smirk. "Where's our son?"

"He's helping Tony in the lab. They seem to think I need a shield like James's," Steve replied. "I told them not to bother. I'm happy with the one I have, but you know Tony."

Natasha nodded. "Guess we'll have to go without James then," she said more to herself than him. Noticing the confusion on Steve's face, she explained, "I just got a call from the realtor. We close on Friday. We can't put off furniture shopping any longer."

Steve smiled. "That soon? That's great."

"I might have pulled a few strings," Natasha replied. "Take me to breakfast then we'll hit the furniture stores, soldier."

"Sounds like a plan. Let me tell Sharon I need to reschedule our meeting and I'm all yours."

"I'll pull the car around. Don't let Carter hold you up. I'm hungry."

Steve had a little more bounce in his step by the time he made it to the communal kitchen. He was going to get to spend the entire day alone with Natasha. Sharon was sitting at the table with her coffee cup in hand when he arrived. Steve noticed she had already poured him a cup and momentarily felt bad about canceling on her.

Before he could speak, Sharon turned around. She had obviously been crying. "What's wrong?" Steve asked.

Sharon wiped a tear from her face. "Sorry. I just got off the phone with David. I finally told him my transfer is not so temporary after all."

Steve nodded. Sharon had mentioned her boyfriend before. "I take it he didn't take it well."

"No, he was pretty upset. He, I think he just broke things off. He said we both need to examine our priorities."

"I'm sorry, Sharon."

"Don't be. I just had a weak moment. Let's get to work."

"About that," Steve began, "I need to reschedule our meeting. Natasha and I close on the house soon, and we need to go furniture shopping."

Sharon nodded. "Yeah, I guess neither of you have ever actually needed furniture before with your line of work. Shield always rented fully furnished apartments for their best agents. It's fine. None of this is pressing, and I could probably use some alone time this morning. Who has James tonight?"

"Nat. I had him last night."

"Okay, why don't we meet tonight after you get James settled. We can talk shop and maybe eat a pizza."

"Sure," Steve replied, then remembering how much the movie night had helped Natasha after Bruce left, he added, "we'll even watch a funny movie if you want to get your mind off of things."

Sharon smiled. "I think I'd like that. Now, get going Steve. Furniture won't buy itself."

Steve nodded and smiled. He quickly made his way to Natasha's car and they made their way to Waffle House. Breakfast went well. Natasha showed Steve a few things she liked on line for the new house. Steve reminded her that his sense of style was pretty outdated and assured her he would be happy with anything.

Soon, they were sitting on different sofas and testing them out. They laughed and had a good time together. They'd picked out the living room furniture and the dining room table, and they were following the salesman towards the bedroom furnishings when Natasha suddenly stopped in front of an antique armoire.

"Everything okay?" Steve asked.

"Yeah, it's fine. This just reminds me of the armoire in my parents' bedroom. I used to climb inside and play," she paused. "Sorry, we should get going."

"Not so fast," Steve replied before turning to the salesman. "How much for the armoire?"

"It's an antique," the salesman said with a smile. "It's in exceptional condition. This one lists for $4,500."

"Do you have any bedroom suits that'll match?" Steve asked.

"Of course, we have a few that would go very well with this piece."

"Steve, it's okay. We have a lot of furniture to buy. We are tapping out the budget already. I really don't need an armoire. I have that big closet," Natasha replied.

"We'll take the armoire and show us the matching sets," Steve informed the salesman, "but put the armoire on a separate ticket." He looked at Natasha. "I think it's customary to buy the mother of your child a gift when the baby's born. We kind of missed that part, but you still deserve the gift."

"Steve, it's a little extravagant. Most fathers bring flowers," Natasha replied softly.

"Let me do this. Besides, I have plenty of back pay from all my time in the ice. It reminds you of your parents' home. It's only right you have it in yours."

Natasha smiled and gave him a peck on the cheek. "Thank you, Steve."

Steve managed not to blush and hoped Natasha didn't notice the increase in his heartrate. "My pleasure, Nat. Neither of us have had a real home in a very long time. I want it to be special."

After picking out a queen size bed and dresser for Natasha's room and a nice set that could grow with James, Steve walked over to a full size bed and plopped down on it. "This will work for me."

"Absolutely not," Natasha said shaking her head. "You barely fit. Surely we can fit a queen size in your room."

"I don't know about that, but this is fine. It's comfortable, too."

Natasha crawled up onto the mattress beside him and looked him in the eyes. "Okay, you fit but what if you were to have overnight company? This is a pretty tight squeeze," she said softly, almost tentatively like she was fishing for information.

"I have no intention of bringing another woman into our home with our son overnight. I know we aren't together but I'd appreciate it if you didn't bring anyone in either," Steve replied just as softly. "Is that asking too much?"

Natasha shook her head. "No, I agree. James needs normalcy. If either of us meet someone then we will need to discuss how best to handle the situation." Steve nodded. "Are you sure you don't want a bigger bed, soldier?"

"This one is just fine," Steve assured her.

"Okay then let's get out of here. We still need to shop for pots and pans."

The rest of the shopping trip went well and they made arrangements to have everything delivered to the house on Saturday. When they got back to the compound, the had to pry their son from Tony's lab in order to feed him a late lunch then Steve and Natasha ran a few training exercises with the team while James watched eagerly.

By the time Steve left Natasha and James in her quarters, he had completely forgotten his meeting with Sharon. He was already dressed for bed when she knocked on the door with pizza in hand.

"Cap, I didn't know this was a pajama party," Sharon laughed.

"Oh, I completely forgot. Let me go change."

"We can put this off until tomorrow-"

"No, I promised you a meeting. You brought pizza. I have movies. It'll be fun."

Sharon smiled. "Thanks for this. I need to get out of my head for a little while."

"I'll go change."

"Seriously, Steve, you're in flannel pajamas. You're hardly indecent. It's fine."

They started dinner, talked shop a few minutes then started the movie. Steve accidentally spilled his coke and it landed on Sharon, so he got her one of his t-shirts and a pair of his shorts so she could finish the movie in comfort.

They must have been more tired than either of them realized, because Steve woke up on the couch with the sun shining through the window. He gently woke Sharon, who was curled up on the loveseat, and walked her to the door.

"Thanks for being a good friend, Steve," Sharon whispered in his ear before giving him a kiss on the cheek.

"Anytime," Steve promised then his eyes wandered to those of his favorite redhead, who just so happened to be walking down the hallway with their son and a box of donuts.

"Nat, James, what are you guys doing up and around so early?" Steve asked, slightly in horror, because he was completely aware of how compromising his situation looked.

"We brought you breakfast," James replied without taking his eyes off of Sharon.

"Apparently, we should have brought a few more donuts," Natasha replied. "James and I've already eaten. Leave the rest with your dad, James, and let's go." Natasha turned and started walking.

"Nat, wait," Steve said as he followed behind her. "It's not what you-"

"It's not any of my business, Rogers, but a heads up would have helped so I could have kept our son away. Hurry up, James."

Steve watched as James handed Sharon the donuts and ran after his mother. He sighed and turned around.

Sharon handed him the box of donuts. "I'm so sorry, Steve. If I hadn't fallen asleep-"

"We both fell asleep. It's not your fault."

"Do you want me to explain it to her?"

"No, I don't think that would help. Nat and I aren't together. She is just aggravated because of James. We just agreed yesterday to not have overnight guests around our son."

"I'm pretty sure she wasn't just upset about James, Steve. She hasn't been happy about my presence since I arrived. I have a feeling she thinks I'm stepping on her turf."

"Her turf? You mean the compound?"

"No, Cap, her turf as in her man. I'm talking about you, Steve."

"Natasha isn't interested in me. She's still getting over Bruce."

"Whatever you say," Sharon replied, shaking her head. "You two should really talk this out. You're obviously in love with her, and she's definitely feeling something for you." With that, Sharon walked down the hall to her quarters leaving Steve holding the box of donuts and feeling confused.


	9. Chapter 9

"Friday, tell Capsycle and James to come to my lab," Tony said as he looked over his latest creation.

"Yes, Mr. Stark," Friday replied. "They should be with you momentarily."

Tony smiled when Steve arrived and tossed his friend the newly designed shield. "It works just like the one future me designed for James, but I upgraded the design a little bit. Try it out."

Tony watched as Steve attached it to his wrist and powered up the shield. "It looks good," Steve replied, "but do you really think it's better than mine? Can I trust it in the field?"

"Apparently, future me thought it was safe and sturdy enough for your son, and I like the kid way more than I like you," Tony teased. "We'll test it before we send you into any action, but it's lightweight and easily concealed. That gives you an advantage you never had with the vibranium one."

Natasha entered the lab as Steve was holding the shield. "True, but I'll feel better when I know it works."

Tony saw Natasha raise her hand. He even realized what she was doing, but he was too shocked to warn Steve before Natasha shot her widow's bite at the shield. Steve immediately moved to block the bite with a look of shock and horror on his face. The shield held, but the looks on his friends' faces scared Tony more than the widow's bite ever could.

"There," Natasha said, "now you know it works, Rogers."

"What were you thinking, Nat? Tony just said we needed to test it," Steve yelled.

"And, now, it's been tested. You're welcome," Natasha shouted back.

Neither of them noticed James at the door. Tony gave the boy a small smile, hoping to make light of whatever was going on between his friends.

"If this is about this morning-" Steve replied.

"This morning? Are you accusing me of shooting you just because you got lucky, Rogers? I've tried to set you up too many times for you to-"

"Got lucky? What are you talking about? I'm trying to explain what you saw outside my-"

"Oh, I'm sorry. I forgot I was talking to a dinosaur. Got lucky is what we call-"

"Ack, stop. Kid in the room. Don't say it," Tony shouted, putting his hands up.

Steve and Natasha looked towards the door and finally saw James. "James, your mom was just testing my new shield. I just wasn't quite ready," Steve said weakly.

"Yes, sorry if we scared you," Natasha added.

James just shook his head. "You promised I wouldn't have to hear you fight anymore."

"We didn't know you were here, sport. I'm sorry. It was just a misunderstanding," Steve said. "Right, Nat?"

Natasha nodded, but Tony could tell James wasn't buying it. No one spoke for a moment then James walked over to Tony and looked him in the eye. "Have you thought about what I asked?" the boy asked.

Tony bowed his head slightly. "Kid, I really don't think they'll go for it."

"I can't stay here with them. My parents loved each other. I know I'm early, but I don't think they'd be fighting like this if I weren't here. I ruined everything, Tony. Please, just talk to them."

"Okay, kid," Tony replied before looking up at Steve and Natasha. They both looked like they'd been slapped, and he was about to make them feel even worse. He sighed. "Why don't you go find Rhodey and challenge him to another game of Mario Cart? I'll talk to them."

Steve and Natasha were quiet until James was gone then Natasha spoke. "We really messed that one up. What was James talking about, Tony?"

"The kid feels like his arrival at this stage in your relationship has messed up the chances of you falling in love. I've tried to explain to him that whatever happens between you guys or, well, doesn't happen, isn't his fault. But, you guys aren't making it easy with the bickering and the moving him from one room to the other every night."

Steve and Natasha exchanged looks. "James knows this is temporary. We'll be in the house this weekend."

"Yeah, in the house, but I think he still feels like there's a lot missing. He's talked to me quite a bit while we worked on the new shield. Apparently, at least from his memory, you guys were good together. It's hard for him to watch you like you are right now. Honestly, it's no bed of roses for me either. You guys were partners. Now, you are so awkward around each other. What's up with that?"

"It's been a lot to take in," Natasha said weakly. "We need to do better."

"You definitely do," Tony agreed. "James wants to stay with me for awhile in the city."

"No, he needs to be with us," Natasha said firmly.

"I agree," Steve added.

"Well, that makes three of us, but he's not completely wrong. You guys need to work out your issues. Maybe Pepper and I could take James for a week or two. You guys can get settled in the house and talk things out. We'll try to help him understand that just because things are different, it doesn't mean they're bad," he paused, "just a week or two to ease the kid's mind."

Steve looked at Natasha. She nodded slightly. Steve sighed. "A week or two won't hurt. School doesn't start for another month."

"And, we do need to get the house unpacked," Natasha added. "Just take care of him, okay?"

"Apparently, I managed pretty well before, or, um, in the future. Pepper will be there this time. We've got him. You guys just figure this out."

 **Moving Day**

Natasha carried a box of her belongings into the new house, while Steve greeted the guys from the furniture store. Tony and Pepper had left with James the day before, but she already missed her son. She had stayed up late trying to figure out how to fix the mess she and Steve had created, so she was already exhausted.

All of the Avengers and Sharon were in the house trying to help them get settled, and Natasha knew her first step needed to be to play nice with Sharon. She also knew she wouldn't be able to avoid talking to Steve much longer. She'd carefully avoided his attempts at conversation since the altercation in Tony's lab, but they'd be alone in a few hours. They'd have to talk about her outburst and figure out how to explain Daddy's girlfriend to their son.

It was really annoying. Natasha actually thought Steve meant it when he strongly implied he had feelings for her. She wasn't ready to reciprocate those feelings, but she had been willing to see where things could go between them in the future. Honestly, she was disappointed in him. After making such a grand gesture in the furniture store, he spent the night with another woman. For that matter, after turning down a casual sex arrangement with her, he had jumped into what could only be another one with someone else. Or, maybe this thing with Sharon wasn't so casual. They did have Peggy in common. Maybe, Steve saw Peggy in Sharon. Of course, that seemed pretty twisted to her, too, but she would have to just get passed it if they were going to co-parent James.

"Nat, the delivery guy needs to know where you want things. I told him decorating was your department. Want me to carry that to your room?" Steve asked. She nodded and handed him the box.

Thanks to the furniture store's white glove service and the help of their friends, it didn't take long to get things into place. Natasha and Wanda were putting the sheets on her bed when she heard laughter coming from Steve's room. She and Wanda followed the sound, and Natasha found herself laughing at the sight in front of her.

Steve's room really was small. He and Sam were trapped between the newly put together bed and the wall, while Bucky and Sharon tried to move the bed enough for them to escape. Their efforts were in vain, because the chest kept getting in the way.

"You were definitely right, Rogers. There's no way a queen size bed would have fit in here," Natasha laughed as she and Wanda started moving Steve's boxes to the hallway so they could slide the chest over enough to free the trapped Avengers.

After they were free, the others went back to the compound. Natasha started helping Steve move his boxes back to his room. Soon, his bed was covered in boxes. "Guess we should have looked for a bigger house," she said, trying to break the tension that had been between them. "Maybe we should rethink things. James has a twin. You could trade rooms."

"No, he needs his space. This will be fine once I get things unpacked."

"Hungry? There's still some pizza downstairs."

"Yeah, that sounds good. This can wait a few minutes."

Once they had their plates and were sitting on the new sofa, Natasha decided to go ahead and just bite the bullet. "I guess we have some things to figure out."

"We do need to talk. Mind if I go first?"

"Be my guest," Natasha replied.

"Okay, I did not sleep with Sharon."

"Steve, it's really none of my business. It was bound to happen for one of us eventually. We just need to figure out how to explain things to James."

"I'm serious. Sharon is just a friend. We postponed our morning meeting until after I got James settled in with you for the night, and she was having a hard day. We watched a movie and she fell asleep. That's all."

Natasha rolled her eyes. "Carter was wearing your clothes, Rogers. You were in your pajamas. Seriously? Flannel pajamas for a hook up? We need to work on your wardrobe."

"I spilled a coke on Sharon. That's why she was wearing my clothes, and flannel pajamas are perfectly decent. I have no desire to sleep with Sharon or anybody else. I would never get involved with anyone else without telling you."

Natasha looked into Steve's eyes. She could see the emotion on his face. She sighed. "I guess I shouldn't have shot you without giving you a chance to explain. It's my fault our son doesn't want to be here."

"No, we're both at fault. Besides, you aren't the first woman to jump to conclusions and shoot my shield."

Natasha raised her eyebrows. "Really, Cap, I thought I knew all your secrets."

"Not even close, Romanoff," Steve teased, "but we do need to figure out how to make James more comfortable. He shouldn't think it's his fault if we never fall in love."

"Yeah," Natasha replied pensively, "how do you think that happened anyway? The falling in love part, I mean."

"Well, I'm just guessing, but I figure it happened kind of slowly. We probably kept having those movie nights. Some time passed and you're feelings for Bruce faded, and you stopped trying to set me up with coffee dates. Instead, we probably started going out for coffee together then I finally got the nerve to ask you on a proper date, and you accepted. I probably took you to that Italian place over on Elm Street, and I tipped the maître d' a twenty to give us the best table. I might have even talked to the musicians ahead of time and had them serenade us. Maybe, we even danced. You probably laughed when I stepped on your toes and insisted on giving me dance lessons. During one of those dance lessons, I probably got the nerve up to give you a proper kiss and things just went on from there."

"Wow, that actually sounds nice," Natasha replied softly, "but I have a feeling it went a little differently."

"Yeah? What have you got, Romanoff?"

Natasha smiled. "I think some time passed, but not much, and we kept having our movie nights like you said. But, I bet I didn't stop trying to set you up. I probably kept pointing out women I thought you'd be interested in, and you kept telling me no. I probably blamed your lack of experience with modern dating and talked you into letting me show you the ropes. I drug you to that club Sam and Bucky got kicked out of, the one over on 4th, and taught you some modern dance moves. You probably still stepped on my toes, so we moved to the bar. I pointed out other guys who were hitting on women and told you what they were doing wrong then I made you practice by hitting on me. We went back to the compound, and I insisted on helping you practice your kissing skills. You got really good at kissing and I decided not to let you kiss anyone else after all."

Steve laughed. "Well, there is one pretty big flaw in your theory."

"What's that?"

"I really don't need practice."

"Everybody needs practice," Natasha practically whispered, "but none of this helps us with James."

"James wants something we don't have yet. He misses the parents who were a happily married couple. It's not like we can just fake it."

"Maybe that's exactly what we need to do," Natasha replied. "If James is worried that his presence is what is keeping us from becoming the people who had him, maybe we should just take that fear away from him."

"I'm not following."

"James wants us to be in love. We'll be in love, or, at least, we'll make sure he thinks we are in love."

"Isn't that a little deceitful?"

"Would you rather our son prefer being with Tony over us?"

"Not particularly."

"Then we have just over a week to work on our act. The good news is you won't be stuck in that tiny bedroom."

"I won't?"

"No, lesson number one, it's time for you to get comfortable sleeping with a woman."

"Wait, what?"

"Steve, James is just a kid. This will be easy. All we have to do is share a room, hold hands occasionally, cuddle on the couch, and kiss hello and goodbye. He'll be satisfied that he didn't ruin our life, and we get to make our son feel secure. Trust me, I'll walk you through this. It'll be fine."


	10. Chapter 10

Tony called Steve's number a little before ten on Saturday night. He knew his friends would probably be tired from moving day, and he figured Steve would be less likely to kill him if he woke him up. Luckily, Steve was still awake.

"How's the unpacking going? Has Red had to shoot you again?" Tony teased.

"We're making progress," Steve replied cautiously. "Nat is taking a shower. I'm just trying to get some of my clothes put away."

"Have you actually talked yet or is she still giving you the cold shoulder?"

"We talked."

"Well? Don't keep me in suspense. How'd it go? Am I going to be bringing James into a war zone or are you two going to get your heads out of your-"

"We have a plan," Steve interrupted, "or at least Nat has a plan. She thinks we should pretend to be together, so James won't feel like he's causing us to not get together."

"Did you tell her how stupid that plan is?"

"No," Steve paused, "if this is the only way then I'll take what I can get."

"Wait, you've already fallen for her, haven't you?"

Steve sighed. "It doesn't matter. What matters is keeping her and James here with me. If she ever feels the same, it'll just be a bonus."

Tony laughed. "So, tell me the rest of her little plan. Maybe you've got a chance at getting the girl this time, Capscycle."

After Steve finished filling Tony in, Tony couldn't help but smile. "She's taking you for a test drive, Cap. She's not doing this for James. She's curious about how a relationship with you would go, so she's using the kid as an excuse. That way, she doesn't have to risk getting hurt."

"Tony, I don't think that's what Nat has in mind."

"Of course, you don't see it, but you have just been given a golden opportunity my friend. Here's what you're going to do."

Tony spent the next few minutes grooming Steve to woo Natasha before hanging up the phone. Pepper was sitting beside him. She just shook her head. "I hope you know what you're doing," she said softly.

"Me too. I wonder how those two knuckleheads ever managed to get together in the first place. They're kind of clueless about romance."

"Oh," Pepper replied, "and you're the expert?"

"Well, I managed to get the hottest, smartest, most amazing woman on the planet to give me another chance," he said as he pulled her into his arms. "That's got to be worth something."

* * *

 **The New House**

Steve had just finished hanging up his clothes in the closet when Natasha came out of the bedroom. Her hair was still damp, but she looked beautiful. She was dressed in a pair of yoga pants and a tank top that Steve assumed she planned to wear to bed, and she looked fairly relaxed. If he was going to put Tony's plan into action, he might as well get started.

He popped a quick kiss on her cheek and took off to the bathroom without giving her time to comment. Natasha was sitting on the bed reading a book when he came out ten minutes later with his own hair still damp wearing just a pair of boxers.

"All your pajamas in the laundry, Cap?" Natasha asked.

"You told me flannel wasn't appropriate for a hook up," Steve replied as he climbed into bed.

Natasha set her book on the bedside table and turned to face Steve. "This isn't a hook up. We're pretending, remember?"

"I think the word you used was practicing. I'm just trying to get into character, and I have a feeling this is what I'd wear to bed if we were actually together."

"And, the kiss on the cheek?"

"Hello and goodbye kisses, just like you said. Or, did I do it wrong? I guess I shouldn't have kissed you on the cheek. That probably wouldn't be very convincing, would it? Let me try again." Before she had time to stop him, Steve leaned in and kissed her soundly on the lips. He kept the kiss fairly short, but he tried to pour all of his passion into it. Natasha had closed her eyes when he pulled away. Steve smirked and went in for a second kiss. Tony had told him to keep her off balance. When he kissed her the second time, she definitely responded. He only allowed the kiss to continue for a moment before pulling away. "Was that more what you had in mind?"

Natasha was slightly breathless, and Steve was fairly proud that he had made her that way. Once she recovered a bit, she rolled back on her back so she wasn't looking at him anymore before answering. "I think kissing me like that in front of James would probably be extremely inappropriate."

"Well, I guess I was wrong. I guess I am going to need some practice after all," Steve grinned.

Natasha turned her head back his direction. "You're enjoying this a little too much, Steve. We have to be serious about this."

Steve stopped smiling and put his hand on Natasha's cheek. "We have to make James believe we are together and that you feel about me the way I have been feeling about you since D.C. That's the mission. Are you really going to fault me for enjoying having the woman I want pretending she's in love with me?"

"Rogers," Natasha whispered, "you better not be playing me."

"I thought I made myself pretty clear in D.C. I'm always honest, Romanoff. Now, why don't you show me the way you'd prefer I kiss you for this little charade. I promise to be a very willing student," Steve replied, hoping he came off more seductive than creepy.

"I think we should probably save that lesson for tomorrow when we aren't so tired and you're wearing a few more clothes."

"Whatever you think is best, Nat. You're the one with the plan," Steve replied, giving her another quick peck on the cheek before turning off the lamp on his side of the bed.

* * *

Natasha woke up with a super soldier spooned up behind her the following morning. She certainly wasn't going to deny that it felt good to feel so much of Steve's body against her own, but what on earth had gotten into him last night?

She had fully expected him to have come up with a long list of reasons why her plan was a bad one by the time she got out of the shower. She honestly half-expected him to have already gone to bed in the other room, and she'd intended to go get him and drag him to her bed to practice. Instead, he had been all to excited to put her plan into motion. He had even admitted his feelings in a way where there was absolutely no denying them. Steve was in love with her. She would be the only one playing pretend.

Steve kissed her neck as soon as he woke up. "Did you sleep well?" he asked.

"Very," she replied. "We should get back to unpacking."

She heard Steve groan slightly. "Not until we have breakfast and get some groceries in this house."

Natasha couldn't help but laugh a little. "You and your super serum induced appetite," she teased, "but food wouldn't hurt."

"Want to go for some overpriced coffee with me? I hear they have great blueberry muffins. We could even do a little practicing," he said as he rolled her onto her back and hovered over her, his lips just shy of touching hers.

Natasha felt herself flush. She was pretty sure future her hadn't had any trouble falling for future Steve if future Steve had pulled a move like this one. "Well, I did say we'd practice this morning, but I also said something about more clothes."

Steve laughed. "So, if I get dressed you'll let me take you out for coffee and practice kissing you?"

"Everybody needs practice."

Steve stood up and pulled on a pair of jeans and a tight t-shirt without ever turning away from Natasha. "You still believe that? I got the impression I did pretty well last night."

Natasha got up and grabbed a change of clothes from the closet. She didn't bother closing the closet door while she dressed, but she did turn her back to Steve. She finally turned around as she pulled her shirt over her head. "I'm beginning to think you're trying to seduce me, Rogers, and we both know that's my game, not yours," she teased.

"I certainly wouldn't mind letting you take over," Steve replied honestly, "that is, if you're ready to admit the idea of falling for me isn't such a bad idea," he paused, "and if you think you're ready to move past Bruce."

"I think I moved past Bruce the minute I learned he gets another chance with Betty. The real problem here isn't Bruce. It's me. What if I'm not enough for you? You know who I was, what I've done. You told me once you wanted me to be a friend. You didn't give me any indication that had changed until I had already moved on with Bruce. I feel like I've been on a rollercoaster for the last month, and I just really don't want to make any mistakes."

Steve took two giant steps before pulling her into his arms. "I said I wanted you to be a friend, because I didn't want you to pretend with me not because I wasn't attracted to you. I don't think I want you to pretend now, either. This plan isn't going to work. James will just have to understand that you need more time. I'll talk to him when he gets home. No more pretending to feel something you don't. I'll move my stuff to my room after breakfast."

Natasha looked into Steve's eyes and pulled his face down to hers and kissed him. "No more pretending and no moving your stuff out of our room. We're going to have coffee now then you're going to take me out for Italian tonight at that little place on Elm-"

"Maybe after dinner, we can hit that club over on 4th-" Steve added.

"Then we can come home and I'll give you a private dance lesson and make sure you never kiss anyone else."

"Sounds like the perfect day to me," Steve replied, kissing her again, "but, I'd be willing to skip breakfast and take you back to bed right now if you're up for it."

"Not a chance," Natasha laughed, "you're going to need your energy."


	11. Chapter 11

**First, I am sorry for the delay. Real life got a little crazy, but it is calming down again. I still don't own Marvel.**

* * *

Steve took Natasha's hand as they walked out of the Italian restaurant. "Still want to go dancing?" he whispered into her ear.

"I don't think I want to share you. Maybe we should dance at home," Natasha replied.

"Home sounds good," Steve said as he pulled her into an embrace. "I have a feeling we should probably enjoy being alone at home this week. Once our son gets back, time alone will get complicated."

Natasha frowned. "We really have done this completely backwards."

"In fairness, we must have done things in the right order at some point to have James in the first place."

"Yeah, but I doubt we realized we were making a baby the first time around. Now, we know the possibility is there. We should probably stop at the pharmacy on the way home," Natasha replied, nervously biting her lip. "I mean, this is so new and a baby along with James could be complicated. Should we be discussing birth control? You're Catholic. You probably don't-"

"Nat, it's fine. Don't be nervous. I agree with you. James needs us to himself right now. If and when the time is right, we'll discuss having a baby. For tonight, we don't have to go anywhere but home."

Natasha laughed. "I realize you come from a different time, but unprotected sex at this particular time of my cycle would be a really bad idea, and we both know what's going to happen when we get home."

"Let me put this another way, I have the protection covered."

"Oh," Natasha replied.

"Does it bother you that I have prophylactics?"

"Well, that depends, I guess. Why does Captain America have condoms, hmm? You weren't exactly willing to let me set you up with anyone." She paused, "That really wasn't your first kiss since 1945. Do I even want to know?"

Steve laughed. "Of course, it wasn't my first kiss since 45, but I bought the box a few weeks ago. It's unopened, for the record. I just knew eventually things might boil over for us and I didn't want to be caught unprepared."

"Always the boy scout," Natasha grinned, "let's go put your preparations to good use."

"Just so you know, this is for keeps, Romanoff. If you're not completely sure, now is your time to speak up."

"I think I know what I'm signing on for Rogers. Home, now."

They barely made it through the front door when Steve's phone rang. Steve pressed decline and went back to kissing Natasha. Natasha's own phone rang immediately afterward, and she tossed it towards the couch. When the home phone rang, they finally parted breathlessly. Natasha grabbed the phone, "This better be good." Steve watched Natasha's face fall as the person on the other line spoke. "We're on our way," she said before putting the phone back on the hook.

"What's going on?" Steve asked.

"There's a problem with Barnes. We have to get back to the compound," Natasha sighed.

* * *

 **Avengers Compound**

"He put himself in the Hulk containment cell," Sam sighed as he greeted his friends. "Says he's too dangerous."

"I'll talk to him," Steve replied tersely.

"Yeah, about that, he wants to talk to Widow and only Widow," Sam added, giving Natasha an odd look that made her extremely uncomfortable.

"I'll talk to him," she replied with much more bravado than she actually felt. "Go make us some tea, soldier. Sam, keep him company."

"Don't you think we should go with you?" Steve asked.

"He said he wanted to talk to me alone. I think we should respect his right to privacy. He voluntarily locked himself up, Steve. It'll be fine."

Steve nodded, and Natasha quickly left the room. She desperately hoped her gut was wrong for once. If Barnes truly remembered everything then it wasn't going to be easy to help him overcome all Hydra had used him to do. If he remembered her, things were going to get complicated. She hadn't been lying when she warned Steve about pulling this particular string.

Bucky was sitting on the floor of the cell when she arrived. "Natalia," He whispered.

"Not Natalia any more, Barnes. You need to stay with me in the present and let us help you."

"I don't deserve help. The things I've done-"

"Were not done of your own free will. Let it go, Barnes. James, what do you remember?"

"Everything. I remember everything. I need your help, Natalia. I need you to kill me."

"That's not going to happen. Let me get Sam in here. This is PTSD. He can help you work through it. You can tell him whatever you need to tell him."

"Even what I did to you? What will Steve say when he finds out I shot the mother of his child?"

"He knows."

"Does he know everything? Does he know what I did to you and Alexi?"

Natasha cringed a little at the name of her ex husband. "No, but if you need to talk about it, do it. It's in the past. I've let it go."

"I helped them coerce you into marrying the man then I helped turn him into a monster, Natalia!"

"You said it yourself. I didn't love Alexi, not like I should, and he is a monster. It's over. I'm with Steve. We have a son who is named after you. Do you honestly think I would have given my son your name if I hadn't forgiven you?"

"What about Stark? Do you think he will be so forgiving when he finds out what I've done, huh? Do you even know what I did to Howard Stark?"

"I know we've both done terrible things, but neither of us are those people anymore. That's what matters. We can't change the past."

"I killed Tony's parents!"

Natasha closed her eyes and shook her head. This was a disaster. "He won't be able to forgive you."

"I know."

"I'm calling Steve and Sam in now. We need to do damage control." She paused, "We also need to figure out how to help you deal with these memories. They'll eat you alive otherwise," Natasha added.

"How do you do it? How do you justify all the things you've done?" Bucky asked.

"I don't. I never try to justify them. I just try to do as much good as I can to try and make up for some of the red."

When Steve and Sam arrived, Natasha had Bucky recount the memories. Natasha kept her face unreadable as Bucky told Steve about Alexi and their short marriage. She didn't look Steve in the eye when Bucky told them about Alexi's run as the Red Guardian. When he finally moved on to the deaths of Howard and Maria Stark, Natasha chanced a glance Steve's direction. He was broken.

"Stark isn't going to do well with this information," Sam admitted. "We need to be careful how we tell him."

"Or, maybe we shouldn't tell him," Natasha half-whispered.

"It would cause him a lot of unnecessary pain," Sam replied.

Steve was silent for a minute longer before replying. "Tony raised our kid and other Avenger's kids after we fell in battle in the other timeline. He deserves to know the truth. I think it would be best if it came from me."

"Are you sure about that, soldier?" Natasha asked.

"No, not even a little bit, but it's the right call." He turned to Sam and frowned. "Do you think Bucky is stable enough to be out of that cell?"

"He put himself in there. I don't think there's any real reason for him to stay inside," Sam replied.

"Do you think you can help him?"

"I can try."

Steve nodded. "Take Bucky back to D.C. with you for now. I'll be in touch with you as soon as Tony has had time to think things through."

"I'm on it, Cap. I'll take care of him," Sam replied.

* * *

It was extremely late when Steve and Natasha finally made it home. Steve hadn't spoken during the drive, and Natasha knew they were going to have to clear the air. "Just ask the question already, Steve. The silence isn't helping anyone."

"Which question, Nat? Do you want me to ask how close you were to my best friend or should I ask about your husband, huh? Just how many secrets are you still hiding from me? I trusted you."

"You could have read my file at any point and learned all about Alexi. I handed it to you personally in D.C. As for my relationship with the Winter Soldier, well, I didn't feel like I had to the right to tell you anything when he didn't remember it himself."

"Relationship?"

"Barnes trained me. After I graduated from the program, I still needed certain skills. They brought in an expert, someone who never failed, and he became my mentor. When he decided I was ready, he gave me an assignment. I was to woo and marry a mark. I wasn't given a reason and I didn't ask any questions. I married Alexi and we lived together for a few months. It was not a bad time for me-my first taste of normal. It didn't last long. They faked his death and turned him into the Red Guardian. I didn't see him again until after I went straight. Clint and I were in Budapest. When I saw him, I froze. He was my husband and he was supposed to be dead. By the time we left Budapest, he was."

"I'm sorry. It couldn't have been easy," Steve replied, softening slightly.

"It wasn't."

"Did you love him?"

"I thought I did, but no. Alexi was a decent man before they changed him. He's just a little more red in my leger."

"And, Bucky? You said he trained you. Were you involved with him?"

"I can honestly say I was not involved with Bucky Barnes. I was involved with the Winter Soldier. It was part of the training. It wasn't romance. It was manipulation."

"This is the kind of thing I needed to know, Natasha. Even if we weren't involved, you're my partner. You are supposed to be helping me train these guys-"

"I have never let my feelings for the Winter Soldier affect my opinion of James Barnes. I'm a professional."

"Your feelings for the Winter Soldier? And, what exactly were those?"

"I hated him. You're trying to make this some kind of love affair, but it wasn't. Maybe eighteen year old me thought it was love, but when he was pushing me off on Alexi as if I were nothing to him, I learned my lesson," Natasha shouted. "You know what, I was wrong. Talking about this tonight isn't a good idea. I'm going to bed."

Natasha made it to the bathroom before the tears began to fall. She was naïve to think she and Steve might actually have a chance. They were just going to have to figure out a way to make James comfortable without complicating things between them any further. By the time Natasha had calmed down enough to finish getting undressed and go back to the bedroom, Steve was already on his side of the bed.

"You've got to be kidding me, Rogers. We are not continuing this conversation tonight," she grimaced.

"I agree. We should talk tomorrow. Let's get some sleep," Steve replied, pulling the covers back slightly on her side of the bed. Natasha just raised an eyebrow. "I think we both know me sleeping in the other room is a step in the wrong direction. We have things to work through, but my feelings for you haven't changed. I don't believe yours have either. I told you this was for keeps, Nat. We'll get through this together."

"You seem awfully confident about that."

"I figure we probably had this fight in the other timeline. It was probably a little less intense since we weren't together yet, but we still got together eventually. We named our son after Bucky, Nat. If either of us had any doubts about your feelings, that wouldn't have happened."

Natasha crawled into the bed and just stared at Steve for a moment. "It isn't that I didn't want to tell you, it just didn't seem fair since he didn't remember."

"I think I get that. You said no to marriage when we were talking about the future. I'm guessing it was because you were married before."

"No, I just don't want to ever get married for the wrong reason again. I wouldn't marry you just to have the baby James Tony thinks we may need. I would only marry you because I love you."

"So, if I were to ask-"

"At the right time and for the right reason, I would say yes. But, this is definitely not the right time."

"I do love you, you know," Steve whispered into her hair.

"Good, because I think I might love you, too," Natasha replied, "but I promise there are still many things you don't know about me."

"Maybe we should just agree to leave the past in the past. I'm sorry I panicked over Bucky. I guess knowing you were with Bucky made me feel like that sickly, scrawny kid from Brooklyn. I shouldn't have taken that out on you. Add in the conversation I'm going to have to have with Tony, and I guess I just lost it."

"The conversation we are going to have with Tony," Natasha corrected. "If you really believe telling him is the right play, I'll help you do it."

Steve didn't speak again, but he pulled Natasha into his arms and kissed her cheek. Natasha feel asleep in his arms. They were going to be okay.


	12. Chapter 12

"Mom, Dad, we're back!" James shouted as he ran into the conference room of the Avenger's Compound with Tony on his heels.

"Welcome home my solntze," Natasha said as she hugged her son.

Steve watched mother and son interact for a minute before hugging his son himself and shaking Tony's hand. "Thanks for everything, Tony."

"I'm just glad you two worked things out. James is a good kid. He's welcome at the tower anytime, but, I have a hunch, he's going to prefer sticking closer to home now," Tony replied with a nod. "Things are quiet around here today. Where is everyone? Widow finally taking it easy on the recruits?"

Steve looked at Natasha who nodded. "James, Wanda wants to show you a new trick she learned. I think she's in the gym. We'll join you in a little bit," Natasha said softly, hugging the boy one more time before sending him on his way.

"What's happened?" Tony asked. "How much damage was done? Do I need to have Pepper call a press conference?"

"No, it's nothing like that," Steve replied. "It's about Bucky. He started remembering things Hydra made the Winter Soldier do."

"Oh, so do we need to get in some psychiatrists? Can't be easy coping with that many years of brainwashing."

"Sam is on it," Steve assured him, "but, you need to sit down, Tony. It's bad."

Tony sat at the table. Steve took a seat across from his friend, and Natasha sat beside him with her hand on his leg. "Years ago, Bucky was taken out of cryo to murder a high profile man, high up in Shield. He had none of his memories at the time, had no idea he was being sent to kill someone he knew-someone he respected. He caught the man in the car with his wife, caused an accident, and killed them both. Last weekend, he remembered. He hates himself right now."

"And, I am sitting because?"

"Tony, I am so sorry-" Steve began.

"No, you can't be serious, Steve! Are you trying to tell me my parents' accident wasn't an accident?" Tony's voice was shaking by the time he finished. "I don't think I could handle it if he killed my parents, Cap. Tell me it was someone else."

"I am so sorry. Howard was my friend. He was Bucky's friend, too. I-"

"You what? You wish it weren't true? Bucky's sorry, so I should forgive him for killing my parents? Is that where you're going with this?"

Natasha firmed her grip on Steve's leg and coughed before Steve could speak again. "No one is asking you to forgive Barnes. Steve just felt like we owed it to you, our friend, to tell you the truth. We asked Sam to leave with Barnes, so you could process things. That's all."

"Process things? What's there to process? He killed my parents. He should be in prison."

"I killed a lot of people's parents," Natasha countered. "And, I wasn't brainwashed. If you think Barnes should be punished, so should I. For that matter, Wanda needs to go with me. And, Tony, your weapons have ended up in the wrong hands and done their share of damage, too. Are you willing to be accountable for that? For Ultron?

"Face it, none of us have clean enough hands to pass judgment on Barnes. If you don't want him here, he won't be. But, Thor and Bruce are gone. Clint is semi-retired, and I'm not going back out there until James is grown. Do you want to put the Ironman suit back on and help Steve keep the world safe? Somebody has to do this job, and, if Barnes can work through his guilt, he is one of the best assets we have left. Steve wanted to tell you. I didn't think it was a good idea. Just think about it."

"I think I need to be alone," Tony said before leaving the room.

"Well, that could have gone better," Steve sighed.

"Could have gone a lot worse," Natasha replied.

* * *

Tony didn't leave the compound. Instead, he went to his quarters and spent the next few hours looking at old pictures of his parents. His heart was heavy. He had so much guilt from his last conversation with them, so many regrets over the things he wished he had done differently.

It was almost five when he finally left his room. He could hear James giggling and Steve's laughter coming from the gym. He quietly stood in the doorway and watched the father and son interact. Both were tossing their shields at a target. Steve was using the shield his father had made instead of the new one fashioned after the one he made for James. The moment filled Tony again with sadness. He and his father hadn't had those moments. Howard Stark had been too obsessed with finding Steve and forming Shield to play with his son. It didn't seem fair then Tony remembered that in the other future, the one they were trying so hard to prevent, James never had these moments either. Men like Howard and Steve and, if he was going to be honest, himself did what they did because they knew the dangers lurking out there. His dad had to have known Hydra wanted him dead, but he didn't stop. Steve wasn't going to stop either. Heck, even with his promises to Pepper, he'd be Ironman again in a heartbeat if he was needed. The real question Tony had now was what kind of man was James Barnes? Not the Winter Soldier, but the man who had been living in his building training with the new avengers.

Tony stepped into the gym and Steve stopped what he was doing and turned to look at him. James came running up to him. "I beat Dad a few time, Tony. Want to join us?"

"Of course you beat your dad. You're using the good shield. Good job, kid," Tony said, as warmly as he could. "Look, I know we told you not to tell us about the future, but there's something I need to know."

James looked at Steve. "It's okay, James, just answer Tony's questions," Steve said softly.

"Do you remember Barnes?" Tony asked.

"A little. He died after the battle that took-" James stopped and looked at his father, "after Mom and Dad died. You tried to get him to come with us, but we got in trouble. Ultron's robots had us cornered. Bucky told you to get us to safety. He said he'd try and follow, but he didn't make it. You said he was a hero and that he sacrificed himself so we could be safe."

Tony nodded and looked at Steve. "I will never forgive the Winter Soldier for what happened to my parents, but tell Barnes to come back and get to work. They aren't the same men, not really. I just might not hang around much for a little while, at least until I can remember that, okay?"

"Sure, Tony, whatever you say," Steve replied.

* * *

The next few months were great ones for Natasha. She loved being a mom. She loved training the team, even though it was hard to send them on missions without her. And, she really loved being Steve's best girl, as he like to call her. She and Laura stayed in constant contact. Natasha finally understood just how hard it was to be the one left at home.

When Clint called to tell her Nathaniel Pietro Barton had made his appearance, Steve, Natasha, and James took a long weekend to meet the little guy. Clint placed the baby in her arms and smiled. "Enjoy him, Auntie Nat. This is the last Barton baby you're ever going to hold."

Natasha cuddled him close and enjoyed the fresh baby powder scent. James was beside her, looking at him in awe. "You want to hold the final Barton baby, James?" she asked.

James shook his head and grinned. "He's not the last one," he whispered quietly to his mother then he put his hand over his mouth.

Natasha laughed. "Pretty sure you'll be eating those words, Clint."

* * *

 **I know this was a short chapter. Our couple is together. The Civil War has been avoided. Now, we just have to see whether or not the future has fully changed. This is winding down guys. There will be a time jump and maybe one or two chapters then it's about over. I won't be starting another right away, but I'll be back soon.**


	13. Chapter 13

Steve grinned a dopey grin as Natasha climbed into bed beside him. It was New Year's Eve, and even after sharing the room for over six month, he still struggled to believe he was really this lucky. He watched as she pulled off the diamond engagement ring he had given her for Christmas and carefully placed it on her bedside table. He was mesmerized by the way she punched her pillow not once but twice to get it just right for her head then he obediently turned off the lamp when told to do so. He couldn't resist pulling her in to his arms and kissing her neck in the spot that always drove her crazy.

"Steve, you've had way too much mead. You're going to be miserable in the morning," she warned, as she settled one hand on his chest to push him back onto the bed then proceeded to use him as her pillow, ignoring the one she had just punched into position.

"I'm not that drunk. Besides, James isn't home. You could have had a few drinks if you wanted."

Natasha sighed. "Afraid not, soldier. No alcohol for me for a long time."

Steve scratched his head. "You've already given up fighting. I don't think a few drinks on New Year's Eve when James is at a sleepover would make you a bad mom."

"Oh, I agree," Natasha replied, a coy grin on her face, "but a few drinks with his little brother or sister growing inside is a completely different story."

Steve sat up straight, suddenly feeling very sober. "Wait, what? We've been so careful."

"We've been mostly careful," Natasha agreed, "but, there was that night after your mission to Beirut. I wouldn't call that one careful, or the night we went to see the Russian ballet in the city? Definitely not careful that night."

"So, we're having a baby?" Steve asked, with a sudden need to clarify even though he knew the answer.

"No, Natasha replied. "According to Dr. Cho, we're having two. Congratulations, super soldier. You really out did yourself this time."

"Twins? We're having twins!" he grinned. "This is amazing," he added, reverently rubbing her still flat abdomen.

"It is pretty amazing and a little terrifying. It's too soon. It definitely doesn't fit in with the plan," Natasha replied.

"It's way better than the plan," Steve replied. "You are going to let me marry you before these two make their appearance, right?"

"I did say yes when you asked Christmas Eve. You haven't made me want to change my mind yet, so we might as well get it done," Natasha grinned. "Three children, Steve, three! Are you sure we can handle this?"

"I'm pretty sure we can handle anything, Nat. I love you."

"I love you, too, soldier."

"We need to tell James," Steve said with a slight frown. "He hasn't had us to himself for long."

"I think James will react better than Tony. James is a pretty amazing kid."

"He sure is," Steve agreed.

The next morning, they were happily cuddled on the couch when James came home. His bed head let Steve know his son had probably stayed up late playing video games, slept late, then threw his clothes on to catch his ride home.

"James, your dad and I need to tell you something important," Natasha began.

"Is something wrong?" James asked, a look of concern on his face.

"No, sport, something is actually pretty right," Steve assured his son.

"How do you feel about being a big brother?" Natasha asked.

"Uncle Tony says it's important we have another me, so I'm fine with it. I'll be a teenager by then though."

"What if you didn't have to wait?" Steve asked.

"Well, Tony said the timing would need to be exact to guarantee the baby is me. We did some calculations and the best day-"

"Ack, stop," Steve ordered before looking at Natasha. "What is Tony teaching our son?"

Natasha rolled her eyes and turned her attention back to James. "James, what you're dad and I are trying to tell you is that I'm expecting. You're going to be a big brother in a little less than eight months."

James grinned. "Really?"

"Yes, really. We're expecting twins, so this is going to be a big change. We didn't exactly plan for this to happen, but we're a family," Natasha smiled, "we will make this work."

James hugged Natasha then Steve. "I'm going to be a big brother!" he exclaimed. "Can I be the one that tells Uncle Tony?"

"Go for it," Natasha replied. "We'll go over to the compound and tell the others in a few hours."

Fifteen minutes later, Steve's phone rang. "Rogers," he said as he answered.

"What did you do?" Tony asked. "And, twins? You should have discussed this with me, Capscycle. Exactly how many kids do you think I can handle?"

"Tony, we didn't exactly plan this, and there's no evidence that we didn't completely end Ultron. I'm sure Nat and I will be the ones raising the kids."

"You better be, Cap, because I'm sitting her petrified. Twins are a lot of work. Imagine what Wanda and her speedster brother must have been like as kids, and I've just about convinced Pepper we need one then there are the Barton three, or rather four if your kid's right. I'm only one man."

Natasha took the phone from Steve. "Don't panic, Stark. I don't plan on letting anything keep Steve or myself from raising these babies ourselves. You just keep monitoring those satellites and leave the parenting to us."

 **8 months later**

Steve opened the door to the hospital room to let their friends meet the babies. James was already happily sitting beside his mother holding one baby while Natasha burped the other.

"Come on in, guys," Natasha called. "Meet our boys. This is Samuel Nicholas and that little angel is Anthony Ryan."

"Anthony?" Tony grinned. "I knew you liked me, Red. They are really something. Good job team Romangers. Look at these little Avengers in training! The future is looking pretty bright now."

 **Approximately 4 Years Later**

"What do you mean the baby's name is going to be Sarah? It's supposed to be James, Rogers. How could you guys have messed this up so badly? Didn't you follow my flow chart? I spent years extrapolating the ideal time for you two to do what you do in order to make sure this baby was James. What if we have to send a James back in the past, huh? Well, we can't now, because you guys messed it all up."

"Tony, we already fixed the problem," Steve replied calmly. "Instead of panicking over this baby being a girl, think of her as your proof this isn't a time loop."

Tony was silent for a moment. "You do have a point."

"Of course, I do, and I wouldn't say anything negative to Natasha about the baby being a girl either. You know how her hormones respond during pregnancy, and this time has been worse than with the twins."

Tony shuddered. "Sounds like mini widow is already wreaking havoc. I'll keep my opinion to myself until after she gets here. Anyway, what's done is done. It's too late to fix it now. Worse case scenario, I'll just have to send a different Rogers' kid to fix any messes we made. You two sure have given me plenty to choose from."

"I wouldn't say that to Natasha right now either," Steve replied.

"Seriously, Cap, congratulations. You and Red have a really good thing going here. I'm happy for you."

"Thanks, Tony. I'm really happy for us, too.

 **Bonus scene:**

 **Original Time Line aka "How I got your Mother"**

 **6 Months post Age of Ultron**

"Coffee?" Steve asked as Natasha walked into the common room.

"Yes, please. I don't smell any. You're slipping, Cap," Natasha smirked.

"Actually, I was wondering if you wanted to go out for coffee with me this morning," Steve replied, suddenly feeling nervous.

"Roger's, when I said you needed to just ask some girl out for coffee, I didn't mean me," Natasha teased.

"Well, you did say I should get out there and go after the one I wanted," Steve countered.

"Steve," Natasha warned, "you really don't want me. Trust me. I'm not a good choice."

"Nat, you're my partner, my movie buddy, my best friend. There's nobody out there who even compares to you. If you aren't interested in me that way, just say so but don't tell me you aren't the best choice for me. You're the perfect choice." He paused. "I'm going to try this again. I want you to either say yes or no based on how you feel not what you think is best." Steve cleared his throat. "Natasha, I really want to take you to that expensive coffee shop that makes all those crazy designer coffees and I want it to be just the two of us. To be clear, I am asking you on a date. What do you say, Romanoff? Ready to take a chance on a fossil?"

"Get your jacket, old man. It's freezing out there, and I'm not going to have you go back on the ice before this date."

"Yes, ma'am," Steve replied. As he walked toward the door to grab his coat, he turned around with a smirk. "There's this great little Italian place I think would be perfect for our second date."

"Easy there, soldier. Let's get through the first date before you start planning a second one. One of us might come to our senses."

"Pretty sure I already have and I know exactly want I want, Nat. And, I know who I want, too. Let's go. We'll take my bike," Steve grinned, tossing Natasha a helmet.

Natasha smiled back at him. "This ought to be interesting," she thought as she followed him out the door.

 **The End**


End file.
